Advancing ecosystem-based approaches for building climate resilience, livelihoods, and food security in the Coral Triangle Philippines

In partnership with the Global EbA Fund, Environmental Defense Fund is undertaking a nearshore rehabilitation project in Cabalian Bay, an extremely climate vulnerable fishing region in the Philippines. Here, climate change, unsustainable coastal development, and overfishing have damaged nearshore and offshore ecosystems, limiting the benefits these ecosystems can provide for local communities, such as storm surge protection and fisheries habitat. These drivers have also made local fishers and fish farmers more food and income insecure. Environmental Defense Fund’s rehabilitation project will restore damaged ecosystems, create sustainable livelihoods, increase food security, and mitigate climate change impacts.  The project benefits will create a foundation for similar work throughout the Coral Triangle.

Project Status

In partnership with the Global EbA Fund, Environmental Defense Fund (EDF) worked with local organizations and officials in the Philippines to combat the impacts of climate change and help build resilience for Cabalian Bay through two initiatives:

Open ocean seaweed farming: EDF and partners harnessed the benefits of aquaculture to restore damaged ecosystems, increase food security, and create sustainable livelihoods — all while capturing harmful pollution from the atmosphere and mitigating climate change impacts on the ocean. After successfully operating a regenerative open ocean seaweed farm for over a year, the project team launched a separate seaweed farm to provide livelihood opportunities to community members. The EDF team and partners trained thirty members of the local women-led organization Juanas Lipanto Association on seaweed farming and business practices. Today, these members are fully managing the day-to-day operations of the farm. They’ve received their first income from the sale of seaweed and have even arranged an agreement to provide seedlings to the Bureau of Fisheries and Aquatic Resources to expand the benefits of seaweed farming to other parts of the region.

Coastal Resource Management: In addition to promoting the economic and environmental benefits of regenerative seaweed aquaculture, EDF supported local partners to develop a coastal resource management plan to support thriving oceans and marine life amid a changing climate. Moving forward, the plan will provide a roadmap for sustainable coastal management as local partners prepare to implement it over the coming years.

The plan was developed through an inclusive and participatory process. The project team formed a working group of key stakeholders to determine how to restore and sustainably manage marine resources that are culturally and economically vital to the region. Members include representatives from the Local Government Units of Saint Bernard, provincial government agencies, eight local barangays, the Department of Environment and Natural Resources, the Bureau of Fisheries and Aquatic Resources, the Philippine National Police and Coastguard, Southern Leyte State University, community-based organizations, and more. The project equipped members with detailed habitat assessments and maps to inform the management plan, which was completed in early 2025.