The quality of land resources has deteriorated steadily because of erosion, pollution and land conversion. Twenty-one percent of the country's agricultural lands and 36 percent of nonagricultural lands are moderately or severely eroded.4 Soil erosion has affected the productivity of land, limited the rehabilitation or restoration of degraded lands, lowered the quality of surface water, and modified hydrologic conditions by changing land resources and land management. Moreover, the changing weather patterns have brought about prolonged droughts and excessive rains. Farmers have to endure lower yields and lower income from farming.
Of the country's total land area of 30 million hectares, 47 percent (14 million hectares) has been classified as alienable and disposable (A&D) lands while 15.9 million hectares (52%) are classified as forestlands. Some 2.7 million hectares of total classified forestlands have been either established or considered as protected areas, making up a total of 238 protected areas. Of the 15.9 million hectares of forestland, only 6.43 million hectares or 41 percent were still forested in 2003, a significant decline from the 17 million hectares recorded in the 1930s.5 Figure 10.1 shows the decline in forest cover from 1934 to 2003.
An analysis of satellite-based maps elaborated by the EU's Joint Research Centre (JRC) in 2007 revealed that possibly, only 19 percent of the country's land area remains forested.
The main threats to Philippine forests come from the collection of fuel wood, settlements in forestlands, conversion to agricultural uses, kaingin and forest fires, and illegal logging. There are approximately 20 million people living in upland watershed areas, half of whom are dependent on shifting cultivation for their livelihood6. Inequitable land distribution, insecure tenure and rural poverty are often cited as causes of deforestation and forest degradation in the Philippines, linked to increases in rural populations both as a result of high fertility and in-migration7. Deforestation has made many poor communities more vulnerable to natural calamities such as of typhoons, flash floods and landslides8.
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4 ADB, Country Environmental Analysis: Philippines, 2009
5 DENR-FMB estimate based on 2003 satellite images
6 Cruz and Zosa-Feranil, 1998.
7 Kummer, 1992; Liche, 1997.
8 EC CEP, 2009