MINDANAO ECOLOGICAL FOOTPRINT INITIATIVE

In 2012, the Agence Française de Développement (AFD)

funded a national Ecological Footprint report of the Philippines
co-authored by Global Footprint Network and the Philippines’
Climate Change Commission (CCC). The study revealed
a stark reality: Since 1961, the Ecological Footprint of the
Philippines had tripled, with its population demanding nearly
twice as many ecological resources and services than were
available within its borders. In addition, the Philippines is
increasingly vulnerable to the effects of climate change,
Manila
including devastating typhoons, as a result of its South Pacific
location. The 2012 Philippines Ecological Footprint study
launched a public discourse on the ecological state of the
country, with President Benigno Aquino III declaring: “Indeed,
the time is right for ecological accounting.”
Once again, AFD is working with Global Footprint Network,
the CCC and now the Office of the Presidential Advisor for
Environmental Protection to continue this vital work, focusing
on the “food basket” of the Philippines: Mindanao. This region
supplies more than 40% of the country’s food, despite being
Northern Mindanao home to the some of the nation’s most vulnerable people. A
key focus of the project is Northern Mindanao, where six of
Mindanao’s major rainforest watersheds are found.
While the total Ecological Footprint of the Philippines has
tripled since 1961, its per-capita Footprint has increased only
Mindanao slightly, reflecting the nation’s rapid population growth. The
Philippines has an Ecological Footprint of 1.01 global hectares
(gha) per person, while Mindanao has an Ecological Footprint
of 0.78 gha per person.
ECOLOGICAL FOOTPRINT
Ecological Footprint by Land types [gha]

3.00
Built-up Land
The Ecological Footprint measures a population’s
Global hectares per person

2.50
Forest Land
demand on nature. Biocapacity represents a region’s
2.00
Fishing Grounds biologically productive land and sea area available
1.50
Grazing Land to meet this demand. Both are measured in global
1.00
Cropland hectares (gh)— globally comparable, standardized
0.50
Carbon
hectares with world average productivity.
0
World Philippines Mindanao Northern Mindanao
 ECOLOGICAL FOOTPRINT B I O C A PAC I T Y

The Ecological Footprints of the Philippines and Mindanao are The amount of domestic biocapacity available to meet the
below the world average biocapacity per person of 1.7 gha, demands of the average Philippine resident is shrinking. As
indicating that parts of the population lack access to basic more and more countries find themselves in a similar position,
needs, such as food, clothing and shelter. competition to secure resources will pose a greater risk to lower-
income countries like the Philippines, as dwindling resources
Mindanao’s forest Footprint—or demand for forest products—is
will lead to volatile food and fuel prices. This also will increase
significantly lower than that of the national forest Footprint.
dependency on regions such as Mindanao that are still rich in
This may indicate that the root cause of deforestation and
ecological resources.
other challenges may stem from external dependencies on
Mindanao’s forest products. In addition, unsustainable farming Cropland makes up the biggest share of Mindanao’s
practices, such as “slash-and-burn” agriculture, which upland biocapacity, at 57.41%, followed by forest, at 25%. Mindanao
populations rely on for subsistence, are leading to forest island’s forest biocapacity constitutes nearly 40% of the
destruction. Philippines’ total forest biocapacity, but it faces increasing
risks. The severe depletion of the forest cover in Mindanao
The largest components of the Philippines’ total Ecological
contributed to a water crisis, weakening agricultural outputs,
Footprint are cropland and carbon (forest area required to
impoverishing local communities and jeopardizing existing
absorb carbon emissions), while the largest components of the
businesses. More dramatically, deforestation is one of the the
total Footprint of Mindanao are cropland and fishing grounds.
primary factors explaining the high magnitude in casualties
Growing demand on Mindanao as the country’s food basket,
and damages caused by recent natural disasters, particularly
as well as growing external demand met through exports, will
typhoons.
continue to pose risks to both cropland and fishing grounds
if the resources are not monitored and managed wisely. The Mindanao Footprint study, to be completed in 2016, will
Already, fishing activity exceeds sustainable catch levels, include more in-depth analyses of Mindanao’s forest Footprint
leading to depleting fishing grounds and drastically reduced and biocapacity and the human activities that pose ecological,
fish populations and catch. social and economic risks to the area and its population.
The study will help decision-makers develop ecologically
B I O C A Built-up
P A C ILand
T Y B Y Forest
LAN D T Y PFishing
Land E Grounds feasible economic benchmarks for future development and
Grazing Land Cropland inform local and national policies and investments. In doing
so, we hope to improve the management of ecosystems and
1.80
promote comprehensive and cohesive land-use planning
1.60
among agencies by providing a common language through
Global hectares per person

1.40

1.20
the Ecological Footprint.
1.00

0.80

0.60

0.40

0.20
Built-up Land Forest Land Fishing Grounds
0
World Philippines Mindanao Northern Mindanao Grazing Land Cropland

1.80

1.60
Global hectares per person

Global Footprint Network is an international think tank 1.40 working to drive informed, sustainable policy decisions in

1.20
a world of limited resources. Together with its partners, Global Footprint Network provides a menu of tools to empower
1.00
decision-makers at all levels of government to help the human
0.80
economy thrive within Earth’s ecological limits.
0.60

0.40

0.20

0
World Philippines Mindanao Northern Mindanao