Gen. Nakar Forest Cover Change from year 2000 to 2012

General Nakar Forest Change

Legend

     Forest Loss 2000–2013

     Forest Gain 2000–2012

     Both Loss and Gain

     Forest Extent

Results from time-series analysis of Landsat images characterizing forest extent and change.

Trees are defined as vegetation taller than 5m in height and are expressed as a percentage per output grid cell as ‘2000 Percent Tree Cover’. ‘Forest Cover Loss’ is defined as a stand-replacement disturbance, or a change from a forest to non-forest state, during the period 2000–2013. ‘Forest Cover Gain’ is defined as the inverse of loss, or a non-forest to forest change entirely within the period 2000–2012. ‘Forest Loss Year’ is a disaggregation of total ‘Forest Loss’ to annual time scales.

Reference 2000 and 2013 imagery are median observations from a set of quality assessment-passed growing season observations.

Current Problems, Issues, Needs, and Opportunities (PINOs) in Forests and Forestlands Management within the LGU

Forests in General Nakar remains under threat of excessive timber poaching, uncontrolled mining, unsustainable extraction of non-timber forest products, the expansion of agriculture, and conversion to other uses. After the November 2004 flood, timber poaching continued. The communities consider poverty as the root issue, which forces settlers and migrants to exploit open-access resources, support the resource extraction activities such as logging and mining or engage in illegal and unsustainable extraction of forest resources themselves. Traditional regulatory schemes such as enforcement fail because of lack of adequate budgets and qualified personnel. The synthesis and list below summarizes problems, issues, needs and opportunities expressed during barangay consultations conducted for the formulation of this FLUP.

The FLUP-TWG conducted a series of workshops to analyze existing data and synthesize results of community discussions.  Part of the analsysis and synthesis were to determine, problems, issues, needs and opportunities related to forest lands.

Problems

1.      Excessive Flooding During Rainy Season. Rains have become intense and prolonged and river networks are unable to hold excess water causing flooding in adjacent communities. This is indicative that climate change is upon us- as caused by our neglect of our natural resources, among others;

2.      Drying up of Rivers and Irrigation Systems. Not only have the rivers become shallower because of deposited sediments, but they have also become dryer during summer months. Thus, there is now perennial shortage of irrigation water for local rice farms. Related to this, spring boxes built are unable to reach increasing number of households during summer as these have also began to dwindle in water supply;

3.      River Pollution. With increasing population, the rivers also began to get polluted from nearby cluster of houses in the form of sewerage and improperly disposed solid wastes and plastics, especially in urban areas. Pollutants also come from commercial farms like piggeries in Tanay, Rizal;

4.      Soil Erosion and River Siltation. Community accounts have indicated that the once deep rivers used for navigation and transport of logs and have become shallower, wider and silted;

5.      Declines of Biodiversity and Wildlife Populations. Accounts by various communities during consultations revealed the decline of populations of Rufus horned bill, monkeys, carp, wild boar, and many other wild flora;

6.      Aquatic Life Adversely Affected. With the shallowing of the rivers accompanied by sedimentation, the local water bodies have become less suitable as habitat for aquatic life, thus reducing the availability and supply of fishes, crustaceans and edible shells. Added to this is the pressure of illegal fishing practices like the use of poison and electric gadgets in fresh water bodies and even dynamites; and

7.      Fragmentation of Forests. After decades of logging, expansion of kaingin, landslides and erosions, the once vast and contiguous forests have disappeared in many areas so that what is left are patches of second growth and few primary forests.

Issues

1.      Persistent Timber Poaching, Charcoal Making and Small-Scale Mining. These non-stop activities are alarming and are a cause for worry not only to LGU officials and environmentalists, but to the local folks as well, especially as they still remember the 2004 calamity that struck many lives and properties. Despite this worries, however, the destructive practice has prevailed, and may stop only when all the forest resources are depleted;

2.      Increasing Migration and Expansion of Kaingins. The continued migration of people into the forestlands of General Nakar is slowly but surely eating up into the standing forests of the municipality. More so as they clear forests and cultivate it the way they do it in the lowland. It is noted that many claimants occupy and stake ownership over bigger areas of forestland beyond their capacity to cultivate, protect and maintain. Thus, the areas are neglected and become marginalized; 

3.      Submergence of Lower Lumutan if Laiban Dam is built. The local folks of Lumutan and adjacent communities have particularly expressed this fear especially with news now and then that there are investors committed to finance this project, and thus, pursue it;

4.      Titling and claims in forest lands. Several block of lands inside Kanan Watershed have titles;

5.      Infrastructure development including dams and roads, large renewable energy structures;

6.      Large allocation such as the Umiray Watershed Forest Reserve, PP 1636, Kaliwa Watershed Forest Reserve have no updated management plan; and

7.      It is worth mentioning that the Dumagats and Remontados are claiming the forest lands of the municipality as part of their ancestral domain. It is reported that the CADT have been approved but the LGU official argue that the process of consultation was not participatory and insufficient.

Needs

1.      Livelihood. Training on processing non-timber forest products for value addition;

2.      Fiscal and manpower resources to undertake forest law enforcement;

3.      Sustained water supply during summer months. Establish water production systems;

4.      Sustained production of non-timber forest products;

5.      Resolution on land rights of IPs and Non-IPs;

6.      Restoration of forest cover and;

7.      Control of migration into forest lands;

8.      Involvement of local communities in law enforcement;

9.      Establishing of buffer or protection for remaining natural forests;

10.  IEC on forest and forest lands particularly the multiple and competing uses of forests;

11.  Limits on areas for cultivation and improve uplan farming practices;

12.  Boundaries of forest lands; and

13.  Financing of forest management and protection.

Opportunities

1.      Small watersheds as potential sources of renewable energy for communities. A significant result of community mapping was the identification of springs, spring boxes, and waterways that local communities believed could be tapped for micro-hydro for power needs in barangays;

2.      Emerging markets for environmental services. The municipality has vast potentials for eco-tourism, carbon trading, and payment for environmental services in view of interests by national and international groups to conserve natural resources and biodiversity;

3.      Availability of service providers for capacity building needs and access to donor funds; and

4.      Willingness of outside stakeholders to participate in forest cove restoration.

Gen. Nakar Web Map for public information