Assessment of protected area management effectiveness (PAME) in the Philippines from 2013 to 2023 using the Management Effectiveness Tracking Tool (METT-3)

• Main Author: del Rosario, Pia F.
• Format: text
• Language: English
• Published: Animo Repository 2023
• Subjects: Biodiversity > Philippines; Management Effectiveness Tracking Tool; Biology; Environmental Sciences
• Online Access: https://animorepository.dlsu.edu.ph/etdm_bio/27; https://animorepository.dlsu.edu.ph/context/etdm_bio/article/1027/viewcontent/2023_DelRosario_Assessment_of_protected_area_management_effectiveness_Full_text.pdf
• Institution: De La Salle University

The Philippines is one of the mega-biodiversity countries in the world as there are species of flora and fauna that can only be found in the country but simultaneously experience biodiversity loss as well. This loss can be associated with climate change, socio-economic status, lifestyle change, and pollution. The country is a party of the Convention of Biological Diversity and has currently the Expanded National Integrated Protected Areas System wherein the Philippine Biodiversity Strategy and Action Plan 2015-2018 is anchored at. The study aimed to determine the management effectiveness of identified key biodiversity areas through the use of Management Effectiveness Tracking Tool (METT-3). Overall, there was a positive performance in the mean METT scores of the 47 areas included in the study. The protected area objectives directly impacted the performance in terms of law enforcement, comprehensive work plans, monitoring and evaluation, and implementation of fees. Furthermore, there are still areas for improvement such as an increase in staff members and equipment and adjacent land management. Furthermore, recommendations were provided to ensure the sustainability and applicability of the laws, plans, and programs of the identified key biodiversity and protected areas in the country.