The Philippine Business for Environmental Stewardship (PBEST) joins the global community in marking World Wetlands Day and recognizing the essential role wetlands play in protecting biodiversity, supporting livelihoods, and strengthening the climate resilience of the Philippines. Wetlands are vital natural infrastructure that reduce flooding, recharge freshwater supplies, and help secure food and water systems.
PBEST emphasizes that the continued loss of wetlands—often driven by unplanned development, overlapping land classifications, and inconsistent zoning—underscores the urgent need for a National Land Use Law. Such a law would provide a unified, science-based framework for determining which areas must be protected for ecological functions, and which lands are most appropriate for settlement, agriculture, and industry. It would bring coherence to fragmented land-use decisions, prevent the conversion of critical ecosystems, and ensure that development aligns with climate adaptation and disaster-risk reduction priorities.
PBEST calls on the business sector to support responsible land and resource use, integrate nature-based solutions, and invest in watershed protection and water management. PBEST also urges government to prioritize land-use planning and enforcement that safeguard wetlands as essential components of national resilience.
By aligning development decisions with a clear land-use policy and protecting remaining wetlands, the Philippines can strengthen climate readiness and secure water and food systems for future generations.