National Program Support for Environment and Natural Resources Management Project (NPS-ENRMP)

For the Philipines, it is critical that a robust ENR sector-wide approach be designed and implemented to ensure increased effectiveness and efficiency in GEF and other donor operations in Philippines. Such a strategic approach would be geared towards: (i) improving country level performance in the management of the ENR portfolio; (ii) applying lessons learned and replication of successful activities; (iii) avoiding stand-alone project-type operations; (iv) better mainstreaming GEF support through the integration of global environment issues into regular development programs; (v) strengthened institutional arrangements (national, LGUs); and (vi) projection of outcomes and impacts with clear indicators that measure performance (M&E). This approach supports the GEF’s focus on integration across focal areas, and the proposed program would therefore serve as a pilot national initiative presently under discussion by the GEFSEC and IAs. Its development objective is to contribute to sustainable growth and improved environment and natural resources management through its support to the development and implementation of appropriate polices and practices. The global environmental objective of the ENRM GEF component would be to assist the GoP in enhancing ecosystem services for global and additional local benefits. This would be achieved by establishing and implementing integrated and effective systems for ENR protection and management in select priority areas of global significance. Global benefits would include conservation and sustainable use of biodiversity, including improved protection and management of watersheds, river basins and coastal areas; climate change benefits, through carbon sequestration; and sustainable land management. National benefits resulting from complementary baseline activities would come from stabilizing ecosystems and improving productive capacity of watersheds thereby reducing economic vulnerability of the rural poor and contributing to poverty reduction.