AFP: A plan to reclaim land on Manila Bay is ruffling feathers, with conservationists warning the project would destroy one of the Philippine capital's last nature reserves and bird sanctuaries. Salt marshes, tidal areas and three mangrove-clad islands that make up the 175-hectare (432-acre) zone are a home or a resting spot for dozens of bird species, including the globally-threatened Philippine duck and Chinese egret.In a sprawling megacity of more than 12 million people that has seen decades of chaotic development, the area known as Coastal Lagoons is vital because there are so few other bird habitats left, environmentalists say. "It is the last coastal frontier in Metropolitan Manila, the last of its kind," said Rey Aguinaldo, a US-trained biologist who manages the Coastal Lagoons for the environment ministry.
Then-president Gloria Arroyo declared the Coastal Lagoons a critical habitat in 2007, banning activities impeding its ecologically vital role as a bird sanctuary. But now the government is planning to reclaim another 635 hectares in front of the sanctuary to create a new business centre for southern Manila.
Opponents of the planned 14-billion-peso ($324-million) project fear that although most of the lagoons would initially remain intact, the sanctuary would be left largely cut off from the bay….
A Landsat image of Manila Bay, from NASA
1 comment:
Speaking as a now “former climate change believer” and liberal and environmentalist, any of you remaining climate change believers still clinging to the climate change mistake, blunder and criminal exaggeration, are no different from the freak standing by the side of the road with a THE END IS NEAR sign. So instead of your yelling “FIRE” in the theatre, looks like it’s time to go back to rubber necking car accidents and scaring little children on Halloween. Anyone still crying unstoppable warming looks like the last fella ever to show up to the party still dressed in Disco duds, long after it went out of style. You selfish fear mongers are not planet lovers and are not helping anyone or anything as you thoughtlessly spread needless panic like lying enviro-neocons. You don't love the planet, you hate humanity it seems. I'd say stop scaring my kids but even they are laughing at your cowardly threats.
Preserve, protect and respect the planet, not condemn our children to a false CO2 death like trailer park intellectuals.
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