CASE STUDY (Reclamation of Dumaguete Shoreline)

In the early 1600s, countries all around the world have been reclaiming land. In the Philippines,
reclamation is an often-discussed issue, especially when it comes to land reclamation of our
bays. We’ve often looked to land reclamation as a way of making our city even more
economically successful than it is right now – but at what cost?

The local authorities in the Philippines pushing ahead with the land reclamation project that will
bury marine reserves were facing strong opposition from scientists, fishers, and communities in
Dumaguete City.

The City Council granted Mayor Felipe Remollo the authority to enter an agreement with E.M.
Cuerpo, Inc. (EMC) for a total of 23 billion pesos “smart city” complex, which will cover 174
hectares. This project will cover 85% of the city shoreline, approximately the size of 4,000
basketball courts, said marine scientist Rene Abesamis, it will be a death kneel for the local
coastal ecosystem.
 The Dumaguete city shores. Experts say a planned land reclamation project covering 85% of the city’s shoreline would
be a “monumental ecological disaster.” Image by Marion Paul Baylado via  Flickr  (CC BY 2.0).

The planned “smart city” will boast a coastal wastewater treatment facility; shoreline, slope,
and water protection; esplanade; marina; ferry port; and space for a sports facility, hospital,
and city administration hub where the city will benefit from taxes and the creation of new
commercial and industrial sites, ports, and other facilities that will improve employment
opportunities.

Although the city officials presented the reclamation project as an economic boost and a
“sustainable solution” to ease unemployment and address the high poverty rate of the province.
The rising call for scrapping the project never stops.

Opposition from various groups, including the Catholic and Presbyterian churches, educational
institutions, national environmental organizations, and scientists has resulted in three petitions
for it to be scrapped by gathering 20,000 electronic signatures and submitting to the mayor’s
office, saying it will cause irreparable harm to the environment, especially marine life which will
be covered and buried once the reclamation activity begins.

A former university president and scientist from Dumaguete said that the project will “directly
destroy, literally bury, the few remaining coral reefs, seagrass, and soft-sediment ecosystem
and expect monumentally disastrous levels of destruction from direct and indirect impacts”.
Mangroves and seagrasses are both critical for carbon sequestration and act as nurseries for
fish. Coral reefs provide important habitats for many commercially important fishes and add to
tourism value.
 Healthy corals just off the urban coastline of Dumaguete, Negros Oriental, Philippines. Image by Klaus Stiefel
via  Flickr  (CC BY-NC 2.0).

The Philippine Association of Marine Science (PAMS) said that this act will directly impact 150
species of corals; 200 species of fish, including sharks and rays; 9 species of seagrass; and 20
species of mangroves. There will be significant losses of fish stocks in the region once the city’s
Marine Protected Areas (MPAs) are removed, which will cause food insecurity.

The waters might also be polluted from the soil used to reclaim land, causing the fishe to die
and blocking out sunlight, depriving the underwater plants of growth; therefore, the marine
creatures would be forced to move to another new habitat. This will also threaten to displace
the 994 fishers in the City of Dumaguete who depend on the coastal ecosystem and lose their
source of livelihood.

Another environmental impact from this project could also exacerbate flooding.
#NoTo174Dumaguete, a coalition of organizations opposing the project said, that building an
artificial island will disrupt “the natural flow of rivers and creeks” and that the city coast and the
island could become repositories of waste which is also the main cause of flooding.

While a reclamation project promises economic benefits, it has also a negative impact on the
environment. Transparency and public consultations must be considered, together with an
Environmental Impact Assessment (EIA) and an Environmental Compliance Certificate (ECC)
must secure from the Department of Environment and Natural Resources (DENR) for this kind
of project.

ENVIRONMENTAL IMPACT ASSESSMENT (EIA)

The information provided should be clear, succinct and objective. It should include maps,
satellite images, drawings, photos, or other descriptive detail. Only data relevant to the
decision-making process should be included. The following sections outline chapters,
subsections and contents for the EIA statement on proposed Land Reclamation projects. These
guidelines include all the information required for land preparation, reclamation, cultivation and
associated settlements as described in Environmental Impact Assessment. Writing a good report
on EIA is a difficult task - it must be technically robust, but at the same time it must be clear,
intelligible and unambiguous. Those making a decision on the benefits and disadvantages of a
proposed development will not be technical experts in all the areas covered by the EIA report.
The principal advice is to keep the report short and avoid the use of technical terms unless
absolutely necessary. Technical appendices may be included as appropriate. Suggested
contents list for the EIA report:

Human risk exposure must be developed to provide useful guidance for sustainable application
in land reclamation. Such as relocation and setting boundaries must be considered as they
might migrate in the seawater near the reclamation areas.

Prediction of groundwater level in seashore using wavelet and artificial neural network-based
hybrid model to study the natural interactions between sea and land to be seriously interrupted
by the construction of seawalls and other man-made structures, leading to changes of the
groundwater flow path, rate drainage and a load of nutrient, which ultimately result in rising
groundwater level, biodiversity decline, saltwater retention, soil salination, beach dewatering
and instability of coastal infrastructures.

Description of the proposed project

There should be a clear statement of the objectives of the proposal, including the rationale
and/or need for the project.

Legislative framework
This chapter refers to the laws and their executive regulations considered during the planning
of the project.

Potential impacts (scoping), alternatives and consultation

A summary of the general alternatives (e.g. alternative locations, irrigation and drainage
systems) should be given, with the reasons for the selection of the preferred option. The
section should include details of who has been consulted and the outcome of such
consultations.
Description of the existing environmental conditions within and surrounding the site
An overview of the existing environment should be provided in order to place the proposal in its
local and regional context and to provide baseline data that may be used for subsequent
monitoring.

General information to be provided for specific issues identified as potentially important in the
assessment of impacts from Land Reclamation projects is discussed in the following subsections
and includes Hydraulics and water quality; Socio-economic and cultural environment; Waste
management; Climatic norms and air quality; Flora and fauna; Transport and access; Hydrology
and groundwater and Risk and hazards.

Prediction and evaluation of significant environmental impacts

This chapter should include a discussion of impacts during land preparation, reclamation,
cultivation and associated settlement of the proposed project. The impacts of different elements
and processes of the proposed project on the above sectors of the environment should be
considered separately. Criteria for evaluation of the significance of impacts should distinguish
between impacts, which are: positive and negative; reversible and irreversible; short term
and long term; direct, indirect, or cumulative.

Mitigating measures and alternative processes

This section considers mitigation measures and strategies to reduce negative impacts on
different sectors of the environment. Mitigation must be sustainable, integrated and feasible.

Residual impacts
This section should give a summary of those impacts, which will remain assuming mitigation
has been implemented. It will therefore include those impacts for which there are no suitable or
only low levels of mitigation, and positive impacts. Assuming all suitable mitigation has been
incorporated into the design, or recommended and will be implemented, for Land Reclamation
projects these are likely to include, but not be limited to: improvements to water quality of
receiving waters; availability of treated sewage sludge for use as fertilizer; improvements in
local health due to reductions in water borne diseases; slightly increased local employment ;
occupation of land formerly occupied by natural environment; temporary disruption during land
preparation and civil work;

Monitoring Plan
This program should be carefully designed and related to the predictions made in the EIA and
the key environmental indicators. This should be designed to demonstrate the potential
ecological sustainability of the proposal. The EIA should outline the need for, and use of any
proposed monitoring plan, its duration and reporting procedures, define suitable criteria for
monitoring, and actions to be taken in the event of non-compliance with these criteria.
Parameters, which may be relevant, include:
1. Performance indicators in relation to critical operational issues.
2. Quality of irrigation water and drainage.
3. Hydrogeology and ground water quality.
4. System performance and salinity control.
5. Sludge quality (from oxidation ponds).
6. Noise and air quality.
7. Public health indicators.
8. Flora and fauna
9. Crop and animal disease.
10. Monitoring of complaints received.

Environmental Impact Statement

This should be a summary of the report (prediction and evaluation of impacts, mitigation and
alternative processes, and residual impacts), to emphasize: the impacts which after mitigation
are likely to be significant; how significant they will be; which parts of the environment are
likely to be affected; whether mitigation is possible; the likely success of mitigation measures
adopted or recommended to alleviate those impacts. This information can be presented either
as text, or as summary tables if desired. After mitigation measures have been assessed,
residual effects may remain. It is useful to set these out in a table in which the level of
significance of each effect is given.

References:
(May 25, 2022) THE Manila Times by Architect Felino A. Palafox, Jr.
Retrieved from https://www.manilatimes.net/2022/05/25/opinion/editorial/the-pros-and-cons-
of-reclamation/1844910
(August 17, 2021) Scientist, communities battle against Philippine land reclamation project by
Aprille Roselle Vince Juanillo. Retrieved from https://news.mongabay.com/2021/08/scientists-
communities-battle-against-philippine-land-reclamation-project