ZSL Philippines Project

ZSL Philippines Project
Name	ZSL Philippines Project
Type	Conservation project
Region served	Philippines
Parent organization	Zoological Society of London

ZSL Philippines Project

The ZSL Philippines Project is a conservation initiative operating in the Philippines under the auspices of the Zoological Society of London. It focuses on biodiversity protection, species recovery, habitat restoration and community-based stewardship across islands such as Palawan, Mindanao, Luzon and Visayas. The project collaborates with international and national partners including BirdLife International, Conservation International, WWF, IUCN and local institutions like the Department of Environment and Natural Resources (Philippines).

Background and Objectives

The project traces its motivations to global frameworks such as the Convention on Biological Diversity, the Aichi Biodiversity Targets, and the Sustainable Development Goals. Objectives include safeguarding flagship taxa like the Philippine eagle, tamaraw, Visayan warty pig, Philippine crocodile and endemic amphibians; protecting key sites such as Tubbataha Reefs Natural Park, Puerto Princesa Subterranean River National Park, and Mount Kitanglad Natural Park; and aligning with policy instruments including the Ramsar Convention and the Nagoya Protocol. Other aims are to reduce threats posed by illegal wildlife trade, habitat conversion linked to palm oil, and unsustainable fisheries practices in areas like the Sulu Sea and Mindoro Strait.

Conservation Programs and Activities

Programs encompass species-specific recovery plans for the Philippine eagle and Philippine crocodile, habitat restoration in mangrove sites like Olango Island and seagrass rehabilitation in Guimaras, anti-poaching patrols inspired by tactics used in Coron and Palawan. Activities include ex-situ support with partners such as the London Zoo and the Philippine Eagle Foundation, nest protection modeled after practices in Borneo and translocation protocols informed by cases from New Guinea. The project engages in marine protected area design with lessons from Tubbataha Reefs Natural Park and capacity building for community rangers similar to programs in Siargao and Camiguin.

Research and Monitoring

Research priorities include population assessments for taxa like the Philippine tarsier, Visayan hornbill, Philippine spotted deer, Mindoro bleeding-heart, and cryptic freshwater taxa. Monitoring methods use camera trapping techniques employed in Palawan and acoustic surveys comparable to studies in Batanes, alongside genetic studies drawing on protocols from Kew Gardens and Natural History Museum, London. Collaborations occur with universities such as the University of the Philippines, Ateneo de Manila University, Mindanao State University, and research bodies like the National Museum of the Philippines and The Academy of Sciences Malaysia for cross-border comparisons with Borneo and Sulawesi faunas.

Community Engagement and Capacity Building

The project implements livelihood diversification programs echoing models from CARE International and Oxfam to reduce pressure on sites including Palawan and Samar. Education campaigns partner with NGOs such as Haribon Foundation, WWF-Philippines, Tropical Rainforest Conservation and Research Centre and local schools including those affiliated with the Department of Education (Philippines). Training for community parabiologists and rangers is informed by curricula used by Fauna & Flora International and the Wildlife Conservation Society, while community-managed conservation areas draw on precedents like the Apo Reef Natural Park and ancestral domain arrangements under the Indigenous Peoples' Rights Act of 1997.

Partnerships and Funding

Key partners include international NGOs BirdLife International, Conservation International, WWF, Fauna & Flora International, academic institutions such as Imperial College London and University College London, and national agencies like DENR and the Philippine Council for Agriculture, Aquatic and Natural Resources Research and Development. Funding sources combine grants from foundations like the Leonardo DiCaprio Foundation, multilateral funds such as the Global Environment Facility, corporate social responsibility from firms operating in sectors including mining and agriculture, and philanthropic support similar to grants from the Arcadia Fund. The project also accesses technical support from bodies like the IUCN Species Survival Commission and the BirdLife Partnership.

Outcomes and Impact

Reported outcomes include strengthened protection for key species such as the Philippine eagle and the Philippine crocodile, increased coverage of community-conserved areas in provinces like Palawan and Cebu, and improved fisheries management in parts of the Visayan Sea. Conservation science outputs have informed national red-listing processes with the IUCN Red List and influenced policy instruments such as protected area declarations under the National Integrated Protected Areas System (NIPAS) Act. Capacity gains have been recorded among partner municipal governments, local NGOs like Haribon Foundation, and community organizations in municipalities across Negros Occidental, Siargao, and Davao Oriental.

Challenges and Future Directions

Challenges include persistent threats from illegal wildlife trade networks connected to routes through Hong Kong, China, and Vietnam; land-use conversion for plantations driven by actors in sectors regulated by laws such as the Agricultural and Fisheries Modernization Act; and the impacts of climate change exacerbating typhoons that affect sites like Leyte and Samar. Future directions prioritize scaling up landscape connectivity following models from Heart of Borneo, advancing marine spatial planning inspired by Tubbataha zoning, integrating payments for ecosystem services similar to schemes in Costa Rica, and strengthening regional cooperation with neighbours like Malaysia, Indonesia, Brunei and multilateral mechanisms including the ASEAN Centre for Biodiversity.

Category:Conservation projects in the Philippines