Mangrove Alliance calls businesses to fix mangrove rehabilitation initiatives for Corporate Social Responsibility (CSR)
(c) Rob Hutchinson
The Global Mangrove Alliance Philippines (GMA Philippines) urges the private sector to rectify and update corporate social responsibility (CSR) programs, especially those related to the mass planting of mangroves.
“While we recognize the commitment of the business sector to environmental conservation, we must urgently bring to your attention critical ecological concerns about CSR implementation, as mangrove planting activities have been conducted in existing mudflats and seagrass beds,” said Dr. Annadel Cabanban, country manager of Wetlands International Philippines and lead convenor of the Global Mangrove Alliance (GMA) Philippines, in a letter sent to the Philippine Business for Social Progress (PBSP).
Dr. Cabanban has observed that mangrove planting on mudflats and seagrass beds has been happening since the 1990s. According to GMA Philippines, mistakes by the private sector occur because they have resorted to planting mangroves to meet their CSR requirements.
The Alliance attributes this to the lack of awareness and the knowledge gap between science and laymen.
While well-meaning, such activities may even be harmful to the environment as mangroves are often planted on seagrass beds and mudflats.
“Seagrass meadows and mudflats have their own ecosystems. When you plant mangroves on non-mangrove areas, the mangroves will either die or destroy the entire ecosystem,” says Cabanban.
She hopes that the advocacy for science-based mangrove rehabilitation will soon be mainstreamed in the private sector.
Given the current trend of mangrove planting for sustainability requirements, GMA Philippines recommends businesses and other members of the private sector to:
- Partner with mangrove scientists and practitioners on future coastal restoration projects;
- Join evidence-based mangrove rehabilitation training; and
- Co-develop a strategy on mangrove rehabilitation that follows natural coastal patterns and maximizes resource efficiency
“The Global Mangrove Alliance Philippines stands ready to provide expertise and support in addressing mangrove-related challenges,” says Cabanban, adding that the Alliance is willing to meet and partner with the private sector on coastal restoration.
The Global Mangrove Alliance Philippines (GMA Philippines) is the national chapter of the Global Mangrove Alliance, an international initiative uniting NGOs, governments, academics, and communities toward the sustainable management and rehabilitation of mangrove forests.