In the Philippines, over 6 million hectares of formerly forested areas have been transformed into low productivity Imperata grasslands as a result of massive deforestation and frequent fires. In search of solutions that would reduce the costs of conventional reforestation, and help restore the multiple benefits that forests provide, the Government of the Philippines adopted Assisted Natural Regeneration (ANR) in 1989 as a low-cost forest restoration strategy. However, field implementation of ANR did not progress significantly, primarily due to inadequate capacity and awareness among forestry officials and lack of successful field-based ANR examples.

Forests under the grass
ANR is a simple cost-effective method for forest restoration based on supporting and accelerating natural succession processes. Fire management, protection against destructive grazing, supporting the growth of naturally occurring tree seedlings and controlling invasive grass species such as Imperata cylindrica are the key ANR elements.

Approach and activities – sharing the principles of ANR
To demonstrate the benefits of ANR, and mainstream its principles among various stakeholders, the FAO funded project "Advancing the Application of ANR for Effective Low-Cost Forest Restoration in the Philippines" was launched in 2006, in collaboration with the Philippine Department of Environment and Natural Resources (DENR) and the Bagong Pagasa Foundation, with a total budget of US$ 253 000. The three-year project focused on technology transfer, capacity building, and awareness rising. Three demonstration and training sites were established and hands-on ANR trainings were provided for over 200 foresters, NGO staff and community representatives. The cost-effectiveness assessment confirmed that ANR can reduce the costs of reforestation by 50 percent, while successfully preventing fires and enhancing local biodiversity.

More than just sprouts of hope
The project attracted extensive media interest, and successfully promoted ANR principles among senior politicians and decision makers. Above all, the project catalyzed strong commitment for future ANR application from local people, policy makers and the private sector. Based on the experience of the project, the newly initiated "Upland Development Programme" of DENR allocated 20 percent of the total funding of PHP 1.5 billion (approximately US$ 32 million) for supporting ANR practices on over 9 000 hectares.

The ANR site in Balagunan, Davao del Norte has received support for maintenance and expansion through the "Countryside Development Assistance Fund", while the ANR site in Bohol is being expanded with support from the Japan Fund for Global Environment. Several private companies expressed interest in supporting ANR activities. Philiex Mining and Shannalyne Inc. have already signed Memoranda of Understanding with DENR for extending ANR pilot sites. In addition, ANR will be included as one of the selection criteria for the "Best Mining Forest Program" award from 2010.

Perhaps the most creative innovation emerging from the ANR project is an "over-the-counter" carbon trading scheme negotiated between the sister-municipalities of Danao (Bohol) and Makati City (Metro Manila), under which Makati will offset part of its carbon footprint by supporting forest restoration through ANR in the hinterlands of Danao.

As forests continue to dominate the global climate change discussions, it is these small-in-size – but large-in-impact – ideas that help strengthen the link between people and forests, and open new opportunities for sustainable forest management. Encouraged by the positive outcomes of the project in the Philippines, FAO is committed to expanding its promotion and support of ANR as a suitable means of forest restoration in other countries of the Asia-Pacific region and beyond.

For more information contact Patrick Durst, FAO senior forestry officer in Bangkok, on email Patrick.durst@fao.org