DENR's greening program vital to climate change mitigation

 

 

The Department of Environment and Natural Resources (DENR) here has strengthened its Enhanced National Greening Program (E-NGP) to mitigate potential impacts of climate change by continuously rehabilitating denuded forestlands and preserving the region’s forest cover.

 

Paquito Moreno, Jr., executive director of the DENR in Region 3, reported that the government's flagship reforestation program has restored over 129,000 hectares of denuded forestlands and watersheds in Central Luzon since its implementation in 2011.

 

“Preserving our forest cover and making more of our forest landscapes intact is an important component of the government’s climate change mitigation program,” he said, adding that these efforts could reduce communities’ vulnerability to climate shock, as forests could sequester greenhouse gases like carbon dioxide from the atmosphere.

 

Further, since bamboo is found to have been an effective instrument to curb greenhouse emission gases, Moreno reported that the DENR has established more than 3,200 hectares of bamboo plantation in 2021, which is in addition to the more than 14,000-hectare established bamboo plantations under NGP.

 

He said partnership and collaboration with private firms were also strengthened to sustain these plantations, where more than 5,800 hectares of unfunded NGP areas have already been adopted by different organizations.

 

The DENR has likewise partnered with families in upland areas, Peoples’ Organizations, Philippine National Police, Bureau of Fire Protection, and Philippine Army in the region to monitor the development of plantations and facilitate quick response against forest fires and reported illegal forest activities in NGP areas.

 

Apart from its ecological value, the NGP, since its implementation in 2011, has generated 154,055 jobs in the region from its plantation maintenance and protection activities.

 

NGP aims to reforest 1.5 million hectares of denuded forestlands and watersheds in the country. It was expanded until 2028 under Executive Order No. 193 to reforest and develop the remaining degraded forest areas in the country. (-30-)