Critical Habitat Establishment

Critical Habitats are areas established by local governments and communities to protect threatened species.

One of the best ways to protect wildlife and the habitats we share with them is to protect their habitat. The most sustainable way to do so is through the government. We work with governments both local and national to establish areas of protection. One of these is called Critical Habitat or CH.

CH are made with the help of scientific data, species studies, and close examination of human-related threats to wildlife, among others. The Department of Environment and Natural Resources (DENR) DAO 2007-02 specifies the procedures in Critical Habitat Establishment, which include:

  • Identification and validation of threatened species.
  • Population estimate and rapid habitat assessment, community consultation, review and recommendation by DENR.
  • Declaration of areas as CH by DENR and/or local government units (LGU) and ground truthing.

Protected Areas or PA is another method established via national law (NIPAS Act of 1992) but it can take years to establish. Critical Habitats require only LGU and/or DENR secretary approval, making CH a far more efficient practice in environment conservation in the Philippines.

Today, we continue to work with local governments and communities to establish Critical Habitats. Here is a shortlist of a few of them: