Manila - The World Bank said Friday it has approved a 6.3-million-dollar grant for a project that aims to protect the seas and forests in the southern Philippines. It said the project was part of the second phase of a rural development programme designed to reduce poverty and promote growth in the southern region of Mindanao.
"The grant is another example of the World Bank's commitment to support the government in realizing its goal of inclusive growth through better natural resource management," said Bert Hofman, the bank's country director.
The World Bank said the project aims to boost fish populations in 11 municipalities by as much as 30 per cent, reduce silt and sediment by 10 per cent and coral, and build up live coral and sea grass cover by 10 per cent.
It "is also designed to expand the number of protected mangrove areas in the covered municipalities and heighten public awareness and community participation in protecting endangered species by 20 per cent," the World Bank said in a statement.
Philippine Agriculture Secretary Arthur Yap welcomed the grant, noting that fishing and agriculture accounts for one-third of Mindanao's gross domestic product.
"Environmental risks like climate change are weighing down heavily on natural ecosystems in Mindanao on which many local communities depend," he said. "This is a great tragedy."
"We will need all the help we can get for our people in the south to fully benefit from and sustain a rich biodiversity," Yap added.
