Short Summary

The Puerto Galera Mangrove Park in the Philippines protects the coastline by serving as a natural buffer against storm surges and erosion. It also supports local biodiversity and provides sustainable livelihood opportunities for local communities through ecotourism.

Description (Details)

The Puerto Galera Mangrove Conservation and Ecotourism Area was established in Oriental Mindoro Province of the Philippines in 2015. It consists of a 4.5-hectare marine protected area containing important coastal ecosystems, including mangroves and coral reefs (https://www.malampayafoundation.org/news/puerto-galera-ordinance-for-mangrove-mpa-passed). Prior to opening the park, local, provincial, and national government agencies worked along with local non-government organizations to restore degraded mangrove areas at the site, and designated the entire site as a marine protected area to prevent wood harvesting and overfishing in the mangrove and reef areas. For promotion of ecotourism, a 422-meter boardwalk was built from locally grown bamboo to allow visitors to tour the site, and educational materials were created and posted along the boardwalk to help visitors learn about the 13 different species of mangroves growing there (https://www.travelorientalmindoro.ph/Places/Details/987). 

Aside from protecting the local biodiversity and stimulating ecotourism, the Puerto Galera Mangrove Conservation and Ecotourism Area helps protect inland communities and infrastructure from climate change hazards like storm surge, coastal erosion, and sea level rise, all of which are likely to increase due to future climate changes. For example, historical satellite measurements of sea height off the coast of Oriental Mindoro from 1992-2010 indicate that the sea level is rising at a rate of 7.2mm/year (Figure 1). Mangrove habitats protect the inland areas from rising sea levels by trapping and accumulating sediments in their complex root systems, allowing the land elevation to also rise. For example, field work conducted by the University of the Philippines Los Baños in 2021 (not yet published online) found that the rate of soil accretion in mangrove areas of Northern Oriental Mindoro (where Puerto Galera Mangrove Conservation and Ecotourism Area is located) was approximately 12 mm/year. This suggests that soil accretion in the mangrove ecosystem is currently able to outpace the climate change-induced sea level rise and coastal erosion (which is also affected by storm surge).

In summary, Puerto Galera Mangrove Conservation and Ecotourism Area represents an effective nature-based solution for climate change adaptation and ecotourism promotion, as it helps protect the coastline from climate change hazards and provides ecotourism benefits (sustainable local jobs and income) to the community.