STATEMENT OF
NEIL ALDRIN MALLARI, PhD Ecology
President and Chief Scientist, Center for Conservation Innovations, Inc.
We were invited by Desiree Llanos Dee and Hasminah Paudac, both petitioners in the human
rights and climate change case to act as resource person for the petitioners to explain impacts
of climate change on the terrestrial biodiversity in the public hearing of the novel human rights
and climate change inquiry in the Philippines (Commission on Human Rights Session Hall,
Quezon City) on 29-30 August 2018.
The gist of the oral statement to be delivered are as follows:
The Philippines comprises more than 7100 islands covering c.300 000 km2. The country is of
crucial importance to global biodiversity because of its exceptional levels of narrow endemism,
both terrestrial and marine. However, it also suffers from problems relating to an
impoverished, large and rapidly increasing human population (c.100 million in mid- 2014 or 334
people/km2), a gross loss of forest cover especially at lower elevations, and many
unsustainable land-use practices. These factors have resulted in the Philippines supporting by
far the largest number (36) of ‘Critically Endangered’ and ‘Endangered’ (sensu IUCN) endemic
bird species of any country in the world proportionate to its size. The severe deforestation that
has happened in the country must be abated if not reversed.
The Philippines is one of the most climate change vulnerable areas in Southeast Asia (Yusuf and
Francisco, 2009). While preparedness through disaster management and adaptation strategies
is a priority, mitigation remains to be crucial. The country’s vulnerability is exacerbated by the
continued attrition of our forests. The unique biodiversity that we have are therefore becoming
particularly vulnerable to the deleterious effects of climate change. The link between climate
change and biodiversity has long been established. Evidence across the globe tell us that rapid
climate change affects ecosystems and species ability to adapt and so biodiversity loss
increases. According to the Millennium Ecosystem Assessment, climate change is likely to
become one of the most significant drivers of biodiversity loss by the end of the century.
Climate change is already forcing biodiversity to adapt either through shifting habitat, changing
life cycles, or the development of new physical traits.
This presentation provides evidence of the impacts of the combined assault of habitat
loss/degradation and climate change to Philippine wildlife. I present four case studies that
illustrates the effects of rapidly changing weather patterns to breeding cycles of globally
threatened species in Palawan; the elevational shifts of threatened species to find suitable
habitats which have now been decimated in Mindoro and Negros; and the impacts of calamities
brought about by extreme weather conditions in Metro Manila.
Nothing further.
_____________________________________
Neil Aldrin Mallari, Ph.D
Date of signing: 13 August 2018