After Haiyan: Planting forests in the Philippines

The forests of the Philippine island of Panay are home to rare and severely endangered animals and plants. The Panay hornbill nests in tree hollows and depends on old trees in the forests to survive. Even the rare Rafflesia plant grows here whose flowers emit an overpowering smell of rotting flesh. But for decades, the primeval forests here were rampantly chopped down in order to sell wood or to create new agricultural land. Without the protection of the trees, the landscape is completely vulnerable to natural catastrophes such as Typhoon Haiyan. That has put at risk the local biodiversity as well as the livelihoods of residents. That's why rebuilding and forest protection are at the heart of efforts to revive the area. Supported by local non-governmental organizations and the German development organization (GIZ), the local population is deciding which areas should be protected, where cultivation should be carried out and where reforestation is needed. On hill slopes, farmers are already planting deep-rooted cacao and coffee bushes. That helps to stabilize the soil, reduce erosion and the impact of storms. And in the forests, endangered tree and animal species are beginning to flourish once again.

Video list

Information

Length
06:47 Minutes

Date of publication
2014

Project

Forest and climate protection on Panay