Sustainable Development

Principles and Practices

Serafin A. Arviola Jr.

THE UNCREATION STORY

In the beginning was the Earth, and it was beautiful.
And Man lived upon the Earth.
And Man said: Let us build skycrapers and highways.
So Man covered the Earth with steel and concrete.
And Man said: It was good.
On the second day, Man looked upon the clear blue
waters of rivers, and of the seven seas of the Earth.
And Man said: Let us damp our sewage into the waters.
And Man did. So the waters became dark and murky.
And Man said: It is good.

continuation.
On the third day, Man gazed upon the forests of the
Earth.They were tall and green. And Man said:
Let us cut the trees to make things for ourselves.
And Man did. And the forests grew thin.
And Man said: It is good.
On the fourth day, Man saw the animals of the Earth
Leaping into the fields, and playing in the sun.
And Man said, Let us trap the animals for money, and
shoot them for sport.
And Man did. And the animals became scarce.
And Man said: It is good.

continuation.

On the fifth day, Man felt the cool breeze in his nostrils.

And Man said, Let us burn our refuse and let the wind
blow away the smoke and the debris.
And Man did. And the air became dense

With the smoke and carbon.

And Man said, It is good.

continuation.

On the sixth day, Man saw many kinds of people on Earth,

All different race, in color in creed.

And Man feared them, and said Let us make bombs and
missiles in case misunderstandings should arise.
And Man did, then said, It is good.
On the seventh day, man rested.
And the Earth was quiet, and deadly still.
For Man was no more. It was good!

I. BASIC OR COMMON DEFINITIONS OF TERMS

DEVELOPMENT: (DEVOLUER):
TO MATERIALIZE THE POTENTIAL
Examples:
Development of Natural Resources: a lake for fisheries, water supply;
mines of minerals and precious stones;
Developmental Biology: materialization of the information in the genes
from the fertilized egg to the mature individual
Development Bank: the utilization of the money for economic
development as for industries, business, entrepreneurships

SUSTAINABLE: (SUSTENIRE):

TO MAINTAIN, TO WITHSTAND, TO BE ABLE TO KEEP UP FOR

A GIVEN PERIOD OF TIME
Withstand or sustain the hardship;
Maintain the support, supply, source, responsibility

EDUCATION: (EDUCARE) :
TO DEVELOP OR DRAW THE POTENTIALS
THROUGHOUT LIFE: HENCE EDUCATION IS LIFELONG
It is a transformative process that provides knowledge, skills,
perspectives, values for the individuals participation and
contribution to their own well-being and that of their community
and nation.

THESE ARE THE KEY WORDS IN THE CONCEPT OF

EDUCATION FOR SUSTAINABLE DEVELOPMENT (ESD)

Figure 1. Environment, Society, Economy Relationships in

the Attainment of Human Well-Being

Environment

Society

Economy

Human Well being

B. THE NATIONAL TOWN MEETING ON SUSTAINABILITY (May 1999 Detroit, Michigan)

The Meeting established that the term Sustainable Development

is frequently used, but is not well understood.
It is believed to mean New technologies and new ways of doing
business, which allow the improvement of quality of life today in all
economic, environmental and social dimensions without impairing
the ability of future generations to enjoy quality of life and
opportunity at least as good as the present.

THUS, THE FOURTH COMPONENT OF SD IS

TECHNOLOGY
THE FIFTH COMPONENT OF SD IS INDUSTRY

WHICH IS RELATED TO FORM OF ECONOMY, TO

ECOLOGY OR ENVIRONMENT AND TECHNOLOGY

FIGURE 2
ENVIRONMENTAL
RESOURCES
(ECOLOGY)

RAW
MATERIALS

WASTES
Technology

RESOURCES
WASTES

MATERIALS
RESOURCES

WASTES
Geography
Demography
COMMUNITY
Institution

GOODS

Php

SERVICES
RESOURCES

Economy
Or
Market

Php

Industry

Sustainable Development
This concept is an attempt to balance two moral demands:

1. The first demand is for development, including economic development or

economic growth.

2.The second demand is for sustainability, for ensuring that we do not mortgage the
future for the sake of the gains in the present.

But these two moral demands can conflict. In

fact, economic growth or development is a prime
source of threats to the environment.

True development should lead to

an environmentally sound, peaceful,
just and sustainable quality of life.

Sustainable development is:

Development that meets the needs
of the present without compromising the ability of future
generations to
meet their own needs.
The World Commission on Environment &
Development, 1987

At the 2002 World Summit on

Sustainable Development in
Johannesburg, the concept of
sustainable development was more
fully developed to encompass three
interdependent and mutually
reinforcing pillars
-social development
-economic development
- environmental protection

Historical Development
1972 UN Conference on the Human
Environment in Stockholm, Sweden

1987 World Commission on Environment

And Development : Our Common Future

1992 United Nations Conference on

Environment and Development (UNCED)
Rio de Janeiro, Brazil

2002 World Summit on Sustainable

Development (WSSD) in Johannesburg
South Africa

Johannesburg Declaration on Sustainable Development

From our origins to the future
1. We, the representatives of the peoples of the world,
assembled at the World Summit on Sustainable
Development in Johannesburg, South Africa, from 2 to 4
September 2002, reaffirm our commitment to sustainable
development.

2. We commit ourselves to building a humane, equitable

and caring global society, cognizant of the need for human
dignity for all.

3. At the beginning of this Summit, the children of the

world spoke to us in a simple yet clear voice that the
future belongs to them, and accordingly challenged all
of us to ensure that through our actions they will
inherit a world free of the indignity and indecency
occasioned by poverty, environmental degradation and
patterns of unsustainable development.
4. As part of our response to these children, who represent
our collective future, all of us, coming from every corner
of the world, informed by different life experiences, are
united and moved by a deeply felt sense that we urgently
need to create a new and brighter world of hope.

The State of Philippine

Environment

The Principle
Harvard and UP trained lawyer Antonio Oposa
claims that environmental security is the highest
form of security. The base of all economic
activity is the security supply and quality of the
very elements that support life air, water and
soil.

The Air Quality

In key urban centers in the country,
especially in Makati, Manila and Pasay,
the air quality falls far short of the
appropriate standards of health, with
Meycauyan in Bulacan as the most
polluted area with a total suspended
particulate (TSP) level 300 times the
acceptable standard for air quality.

WHY
SHOULD WE?
Health Impact Of Air Pollution in Metro Manila
(1992)
Type Of Impact

No. Of Cases

Chronic Bronchitis

12,000

Restrictive Activity Days

11,006,000

Emergency Room Visits

45,000

Bronchitis in Children

112,000

Asthma

436,000

Respiratory Symptoms Days

35,028,000

Respiratory Hospital Admission

Total

2,000
46,641,000

Source: The Metro Manila Air Quality Improvement Sector Development Program:
A Primer, by DENR February 2001

The Rivers
Sixteen of the countrys major rivers, five
of which are in Metro Manila, are
considered biologically-dead during the
summer months due to pollution. Only 7%
of Metro Manilas population is currently
connected to a sewer system.

Where have all the rivers gone?

The watershed forest

Of the total land area, only 99 watershed
areas covering an aggregate area of 1.3
million hectares are proclaimed as water
forest reserves. About 90% of these areas
are categorized as hydrologically-critical,
not only due to their important functions
but also to their degraded physical
condition.

INLAND WATERS
211 Lakes, 18 major
rivers,
22 marshes, swamps and
reservoir

PHILIPPINE WETLANDS
1616 species of aquatic plants
3675 species of fauna

The mangroves
The destruction of countrys coastal ecosystem
has taken a heavy toll on our marine resources.
Today, only 38,000 or 7% of the 500,000
hectares of mangrove swamps existent in the
1920s remain. This rapid shrinkage is accounted
for by the fact that 2,000 hectares of mangroves
are being converted to the uses every year,
giving us the dubious distinction of having one of
the highest mangrove conversion rates in Asia.

Mangrove Status
Approximately 120,000
hectares of mangroves
(Primavera 2000)
95% of highly diverse
mangroves are found in the
Philippines.
There are 54 mangrove
species in the world
belonging to 16 families, 35
species (1 hybrid, 1 variety,
& 33 species) of true
mangrove and associates
are found in the Philippines.

1 hectare of
mangrove
forest

=
=
680
kilograms
of fish per
year

Mangroves provide protection

from impact of tsunamis

Seagrass meadows cover about 120,000

km at depths of 0.3 meters in the
extensive coastline of Southeast Asia.
978 km2 of Seagrass
beds have been
measured from 96
sites in the
Philippines.
50% of Seagrass beds
were lost (Fortes
19940.
Filter for sediments
from land.

What are Seagrasses for?

They stabilize the substrate
They serve as habitat and nursery for fish and
many invertebrates
They serve as primary food source for dugongs,
sea turtles, etc.
They provide alternative feeding sites for
commercial and forage organisms
They tend to leak or export nutrients to nearby
ecosystems
They interact with coral reefs and mangroves in
the reduction of wave energy, sediment
relationships and flow regulation

Paradoxically, the greatest

contribution of seagrass ecosystem
to the chains of life is death.
(Meez et al. 1983)

Coral reefs too!

While the country has lost almost
half of its mangrove areas, only
5% of our coral reefs remain in
excellent condition while 32% are
in poor condition.

Coral Status
The Phil. coral
fauna is the richest
in the world, with
about 430 species.

Papua N. G. = 380
species
Great Barrier in
Australia = 350
species

20 metric tons of fish per year

1 square kilometer
of healthy corals

=
Enough to feed 50 kilograms of fish to 400
people in a year

The garbage problem

Solid waste remains a major
contributor to land, air and water
pollution, with Metro Manila
generating 6,169 tons of garbage
everyday and which is expected to
double by 2010.

Pollution

The forest resources

The countrys forest resources have
been reduced from about 19 million
hectares, or 63% of the total land
area in 1920s, to only 7.2 million
hectares or 24% in 2004; with oldgrowth forests consisting of less than
a million hectares.

Rate of forest destruction

The present rate of denudation of our
forest is 180,000 hectares per year,
which is equivalent to the destruction
of one hectare of forest for every
three minutes, or 20 hectares of
forest every hour.

Km2
FOREST
COVER Land area (300,000 km2)
Spanish colonization (270,000
km2)

300,000
250,000
200,000
150,000

American colonization (210,000

km2)

100,000
50,000
0
1400

(100 years)

(400
years)
(50 years)

Philippine Independence 1950s (150,000

km2)
(40 years)
Post EDSA Revolution (8,000
km2)
1500
1600
1700
1800
1900
1990

YEAR
Extent of Original Forest Cover in the Philippines

Extent of Forest Cover Loss in the last 100 years

Less than 6%
of the countrys
original
forest remains!

Source: Environmental Science for Social Change, 1999

70-80% forest cover

Highlight of Damage
Central Cordillera
Ilocos

local action
local action

Spanish demand
Pangasinan marshland conversion
Culion
marshland conversion
Central Visayas
molave loss

Luzon

U.S. demand
logging for export

Source: Environmental Science for Social Change, 1999

60% forest cover

Highlight of Damage
U.S. demand for primary wood

Luzon

complete deforestation

Romblon

complete deforestation

Northern Bukidnon logging starts

Cotabato

logging starts

Source: Environmental Science for Social Change, 1999

40% forest cover

Highlight of Damage
1945-1950s

50% forest cover

The Philippines (56% upland area)

crossed the threshold in
sustainable management
Late 1960s

logging boom starts

Logging concession increased

from 4.5 M ha 11.6 M ha
Source: Environmental Science for Social Change, 1999

34% forest cover

Highlight of Damage
1977-1980s
all time high
deforestation rate (300,000 ha/yr)
Philippine forest rapidly
disappearing
Completely deforested or <5%
cover
Pollilio
Burias
Palaui
Camiguin Batanes Lubang Ticao
Guimaras Samal
Siquijor Bohol
Tablas Siargao Jolo
Cebu
Masbate
Tawi-tawi
Marinduque
Source: Environmental Science for Social Change, 1999

23.7% forest cover

Highlight of Damage
1977-1980s
only 8.9% of
old growth forest remains!!!

Source: Environmental Science for Social Change, 1999

YEAR 2002

18% forest cover

< 3% original forest remains!!!

Soil erosion
One of the most devastating effects of
deforestation in our country is soil erosion.
The total gross soil erosion for the whole
country based on identified land uses is
estimated at 2.125 billion tons annually.
This corresponds to a gross erosion of 73
tons/hectare/year for the total land area.

Another effect of deforestation

Another very important consequence

of deforestation is the diminution of
plant and animal species endemic in
our forests. The loss of habitat,
poaching and lack of law enforcement
have driven many species into brink
of extinction.

Biodiversity issues
The country ranks 5th among the
worlds 19 biodiversity hotspots due
to habitat loss, over-utilization, and
poaching; with the number of
threatened and endangered
Philippine wildlife species increasing
by 9.7% annually.

Biodiversity is
the totality of all
life forms on
earth & its
interactions

BIODIVERSITY IS CRITICALLY
IMPORTANT TO OUR NATIONS
SURVIVAL

Definition of Terms

THREATENED SPECIES species or sub-species

considered as critically endangered, endangered,
vulnerable or other accepted categories of wildlife
whose population is at risk of extinction..
CRITICALLY ENDANGERED SPECIES species or
sub-species that is facing extremely high risk of
extinction in the wild in the immediate future..

Definition of Terms
ENDANGERED SPECIES species or sub-species
considered that is NOT critically endangered but
whose survival in the wild is unlikely if the causal
factors continue operating..
VULNERABLE SPECIES species or sub-species
considered that is NOT critically endangered nor
endangered but is under threat from adverse factors
throughout their range and is likely to move to
endangered category in the near future

National Pride:
Philippine
Biodiversity
Heaney and Regalado

LEVELS OF
BIODIVERSITY

Genetic diversity
Species diversity
Ecosystems diversity
Human and cultural diversity

PHILIPPINES
MEGADIVERSITY
BIODIVERSITY
HOTSPOTS
High number of
species
High number of
endemism

105 species of AMPHIBIANS

82 species are FOUND ONLY

in the Philippines

More than 254

species of Reptiles

with 208
species
endemic to
the
Philippines

BIRDS

A total of 576 species of birds

196 of these occur only in the

Philippines

Of the 179 species of land mammals,

111 species are found only in the
Philippines
Heaney and Regalado

Around 20,940 species

of insects

69.8% are endemics

estimated 15,000 species, 50% are

endemics

70 80% Flowering plants

193 Threatened species

Corals
462 coral species
recorded (Werner and
Allen, 2000) Highest
in the world !!!

Eastern
Guinea
species;

Papua
with

New
380

Ryukyu / Yaeyama
Islands with 370
Great Barrier Reef,
Australia with 350

FISH
Philippine Total = 2,459/4,000 species in the
Indo-Pacific region
(Fish Base 2000)

2,241 marine species (2/3 82 (possibly 98) species

coral reef-associated)
are Philippine Endemics
209 freshwater species

Biodiversity and Endemism

COUNTRY
Philippines

Total Endemic
%
Land Area
species Species Endemic
(km2)
1139

558

50%

300,780

Spain

435

25

6%

451,171

Brazil

3131

788

Source: Heaney, 2002

25% 8,511,965

Total species population

Total land area

Philippines
Spain
Brazil

Philippines
Spain
Brazil

300780

1139

451171
435

8.5M

3131
Species endem ism in Philippines

Species endem ism in Brazil

25
%

Endemic
species
non-endemic
species

Endemic
species
non-endemic
species

51%
75
%

49%

Some Notable Flora and Fauna Species in Philippines

Philippine Eagle-

worlds largest eagle

King cobra largest terrestrial venomous
snake
Phil. Iron
Wood/magkuno hardest wood

Reticulated python largest / longest snake

Some Notable Flora and Fauna Species in Philippines

One of the smallest
deer
Mouse deer
1 of the Smallest primitive
primates
Slow loris & Tarsier
One of the Largest flowers
Rafflesia speciousa
Worlds 2 largest bats
Golden-crowned Flying
Fox & Large Flying Fox
Worlds largest rat
Cloud rat

Heaney and Regalado

Why is Philippine
Biodiversity

so rich?
Heaney and Regalado

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LEVELS OF
BIODIVERSITY

Genetic diversity
Species diversity
Ecosystems diversity
Human and cultural
diversity

9 ECOSYSTEMS

Tropical rainforest ecosystems

Mangrove ecosystems
Freshwater ecosystems
Coral reef ecosystems
Seagrass ecosystems
Softbottom communities
Agriculture
Marginal
Urban

The benefits and functions

derived from biodiversity can
be classified into 2:
Direct benefits (natures goods)
Indirect benefits (natures services)

Direct benefits (natures goods):

Food
Shelter
Clothing
Medicine
Commercial/ industrial uses
Livelihood
Agriculture

Indirect benefits..
(natures services):

Air and water purification

Climate modification

Drought, erosion and flood control

Social / cultural value

Biodiversity is directly linked with

traditional, spiritual and cultural values of
people.

Economic value

Aesthetic value

Earth has enough for everyones need,

but not for anyones greed.
Mahatma Gandhi

Take care of the earth and

she will take care of you