The Asian Development Bank (ADB) has launched the Philippines Flyway Project to strengthen conservation of vital wetland ecosystems that protect migratory bird habitats and local livelihoods, ADB announced. The project, funded by a $3 million grant from the Global Environment Facility, was unveiled during the ongoing 12th Meeting of Partners of the East Asian–Australasian Flyway Partnership, hosted by the Philippines’ Department of Environment and Natural Resources. The project aims to protect and sustainably manage Philippine wetlands that serve as critical stopovers for migratory birds traveling along the East Asian–Australasian Flyway, while also improving biodiversity, supporting sustainable livelihoods, and boosting climate resilience for millions of Filipinos.
“Wetlands in our region face mounting threats from reclamation, degradation, and urban expansion, and the EAAF is considered the most threatened of the world’s major flyways,” said ADB Vice-President for East and Southeast Asia and the Pacific Scott Morris. “Through the Philippines Flyway Project, ADB and DENR are working together to protect, manage, and restore these critical ecosystems—helping communities and nature thrive.” More than 20 migratory waterbird species depend on wetlands in the Philippines as key stopover and wintering sites.
The project, to be implemented by DENR, focuses on three priority wetlands: Candaba in Luzon, and Lake Mainit and Sibugay Wetlands in Mindanao. It will strengthen the protection, management, and restoration of degraded habitats in these wetlands. It will also build local capacity, improve site management plans, and promote sustainable livelihoods that align conservation with development goals.
The Philippines is home to 10 Ramsar wetlands of international importance and seven Flyway Network Sites that host major seabird colonies, such as the Tubbataha Reefs Natural Park. The Philippines Flyway Project is part of ADB’s Regional Flyway Initiative, launched with partners in 2021 to mobilize $3 billion over the next decade across 11 developing countries in Asia and the Pacific to conserve priority wetlands along the EAAF.
The Regional Flyway Initiative aims to develop long-term financing models that boost community resilience through nature-based solutions to extreme weather disasters, such as those recently experienced in central Philippines. By protecting wetlands, the project helps communities prepare for and recover from floods, storms, and other climate-related events while safeguarding critical ecosystems that millions of people and birds depend on for survival.
