Ann Dumaliang

Ann Dumaliang - Filipino, Asia and the Pacific

2020 Winner | Conservationist | Filipino

The Philippines which is both a mega-diverse country and a biodiversity hotspot has an 80% funding gap for conservation. Down the line, the implications are huge - an average of four forest rangers man protected areas spanning thousands of hectares. Though biodiverse locations may be labelled as protected on paper, it is hard to realise effective conservation because of these resource gaps Masungi Georeserve, launched in 2015, is a privately-led conservation and sustainable development project focused on a karst landscape about an hour and a half away from the capital of Metro Manila. These unique limestone formations and the forests on them, serve as refuge to wildlife and site-endemic species in a rapidly urbanising area. Building on two decades of restoration work, we aim to achieve conservation using the holistic three-pronged approach of protection, education, and sustainable development - primarily through geo-tourism. By doing so, we wish to keep Masungi and other landscapes/habitats alive for generations to come.

I am Ann Dumaliang, Managing Trustee of Masungi Georeserve. I initiated the project and brand in 2015 having grown close to the place since my childhood. Seeing the destruction and threats surrounding a place I love dearly, I knew it would be the regret of my lifetime if I did not do anything to try to make it last. I hope to continue protecting it as well as other wild spaces in my country. I am a lover of the natural world and sustainability, a National Geographic Young Explorer and a World Economic Forum Global Shaper.

Disclaimer: NOTE: This content was shared online for the 2019 cycle of the Young Champions of the Earth programme and has not been updated. This listing does not constitute any endorsement by nor status with the UN Environment Programme.

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