By Patricia Vega

Working on population and development issues involves an examination of the causes and effects of population process at any given time and place. Births, deaths, and migration–and all other human activities these entail–have a profound impact on our environment, and the slightest misstep may affect its ecosystems. This is of particular concern for the Philippines, which ranked 10th globally for biological diversity, yet is also recognized as one of the world’s most endangered areas. Meeting the demands of a growing population has taken its toll on the Philippine environment, with government and industries practicing such unsustainable practices as logging, mining and land conversion, and overfishing.

WWF-Philippines Earth Hour

WWF-Philippines, or Kabang Kalikasan ng Pilipinas Foundation, is the Philippine chapter of the World Wide Fund for Nature network that encompasses more than 100 countries and over five million supporters. The organization’s primary objective is to promote and protect the country’s rich biodiversity; they do this by engaging various stakeholders in environmental education activities, policy advocacy, and local conservation and development initiatives. The WWF-Philippines projects range from coastal resource management and community-based eco-tourism to environmental law enforcement and species protection, with an emphasis on marine biodiversity.

Ongoing initiatives include: humpback whale research in the Babuyan Islands, the northernmost area of Luzon; coastal biodiversity and resource conservation of Apo Reef–the world’s second largest contiguous coral reef system–in the Visayan Sea; and the conservation of sea turtles in the Turtle Islands near Tawi-Tawi. Spanning the whole archipelago, these projects underscore the diversity of Philippine flora and fauna.

In addition to its conservation activities, WWF-Philippines has become a champion for climate change action, citing the country’s vulnerability to climate change impacts like coral bleaching, sea-level rise, freshwater-supply shortage, and extreme weather events. It commissioned the Powerswitch! Study, a roadmap for developing renewable energy used as a resource by the Philippine government in planning RE policy. WWF-Philippines also actively lobbied for the passage of the Renewable Energy Bill, and is one of the main organizers of the successful Earth Hour mobilizations.

WWF-Philippines is led by its Vice-Chair and CEO Lory Tan and Board of Trustees chaired by former Energy Secretary Vince Perez. A non-stock, non-profit organization accredited by the Philippine Council for NGO Certification, WWF-Philippines accepts donations in cash, kind or volunteer hours. For more information, visit http://www.wwf.org.ph/