By Ellalyn De Vera-Ruiz
The Climate Change Commission (CCC) is set to convene before the end of the year a steering committee to help develop localized plans, programs, and policies for the conservation and restoration of coastal blue carbon ecosystems, such as mangroves and sea grasses.
Climate Change Commission (Climate Change Commission Facebook / MANILA BULLETIN)
"We have already complete high-level representatives from the different agencies that are concerned on coastal and marine ecosystems," CCC Commissioner Noel Gaerlan said.
Coastal blue carbon ecosystems are significant in mitigating the impacts of climate change as they have the ability to sequester significant amounts of carbon dioxide from the atmosphere, at much faster rates than forests.
Aside from that, CCC said blue carbon ecosystems also provide multiple climate change adaptation solutions, such as protection from storm surges and sea level rise, prevention of erosion along shorelines, and regulation of coastal water quality and food security.
Gaerlan said representatives from the Department of Environment and Natural Resources, Department of Agriculture-Bureau of Fisheries and Aquatic Resources, Department of Interior and Local Government, and National Economic and Development Authority form part of the steering committee.
"We always talk about rehabilitation. Tanim ka nang tanim ng mangroves pero saan (You always plant mangroves but where) and in what way that would properly address changing climatic conditions?" he asked.
"You have to have that perspective of doing that because there is (a) changing climate not just because you have to plant," Gaerlan pointed out.
The steering committee will help facilitate an effective science-based management plan to address the impact of sea level rise and warming oceans on mangroves and sea grasses.
"What would now be the effect of, for example sea level rise on our mangrove ecosystems? What would be the effect of warming oceans on mangroves and sea grasses? Definitely there is a consequence. But that is not captured in our management plan. What we are only doing now is conservation and replanting. Nothing else," he explained.
Gaerlan pointed out that the CCC already has a draft blue carbon initiative roadmap but there is a still a need to improve it further because "we want to put in science."
"First step is how do you now access the ecosystem if it is subjected to changing climate. We are no longer just talking about the current temperature or conditions but we would like to project what will be the environmental condition 30 years from now. That is what we want to capture in our planning and implementation of a blue carbon initiative," he added.
Blue Carbon Initiative started in 2011 as a coordinated, global program focused on mitigating climate change through the conservation and restoration of the blue carbon ecosystems. This initiative is being spearheaded by the Conservation International, in cooperation with the International Union for the Conservation of Nature and the Intergovernmental Oceanographic Commission of the United Nations Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organization.
Recognizing this initiative, CCC had convened a technical working group composed of civil society organizations and non-government organizations for the development of the roadmap for Blue Carbon Initiative.
Gaerlan said the technical working group is now being elevated to a steering committee for approval of actions that will be taken for the protection and conservation of coastal blue carbon ecosystems.