Bamboo bridge and Mangroves at Bakhawan Eco-park and Research Centre

The Bakhawan Eco-Park is a

mangrove A mangrove is a shrub or tree that grows in coastal saline water, saline or brackish water. The term is also used for tropical coastal vegetation consisting of such species. Mangroves are taxonomically diverse, as a result of convergent evoluti ...

forest located in

Kalibo Kalibo, officially the Municipality of Kalibo ( Aklanon: ''Banwa it Kalibo''; Hiligaynon: ''Banwa sang Kalibo''; tgl, Bayan ng Kalibo), is a 1st class municipality and capital of the Province of Aklan, Philippines. According to the 2020 census, ...

Aklan Aklan, officially the Province of Aklan ( Akeanon: ''Probinsya it Akean'' k'ɣan hil, Kapuoran sang Aklan; tl, Lalawigan ng Aklan), is a province in the Western Visayas region of the Philippines. Its capital is Kalibo. The province is situated ...

Philippines The Philippines (; fil, Pilipinas, links=no), officially the Republic of the Philippines ( fil, Republika ng Pilipinas, links=no), * bik, Republika kan Filipinas * ceb, Republika sa Pilipinas * cbk, República de Filipinas * hil, Republ ...

. The mangrove reforestation project started in 1990 when the local government and several non-government organizations transformed the muddy shoreline of Barangay New Buswang into a mangrove

reforestation Reforestation (occasionally, reafforestation) is the natural or intentional restocking of existing forests and woodlands (forestation) that have been depleted, usually through deforestation, but also after clearcutting. Management A debate ...

site to prevent flood and storm surges in the community. The park is dubbed as the Philippines' most successful mangrove reforestation project. The Eco-park is operated by the Kalibo Save the Mangroves Association (KASAMA). The word "bakhawan", in the local dialect, means "mangrove".

History

The Bakhawan Eco-Park was created on 1990, the purpose of the reforestation project was to prevent floods and storm surges during bad weather in the local community. The reforestation project started with of reclaimed land in Barangay New Buswang created by the Kalibo Save The Mangroves Association (KASAMA), a non-government organization, with the help of the local government of

Kalibo, Aklan Kalibo, officially the Municipality of Kalibo ( Aklanon: ''Banwa it Kalibo''; Hiligaynon: ''Banwa sang Kalibo''; tgl, Bayan ng Kalibo), is a 1st class municipality and capital of the Province of Aklan, Philippines. According to the 2020 census, ...

and the Department of Environment and Natural Resources (DENR). The mangrove reforestation project did not only address the community’s flood problems but it also gave a means of livelihood for the local people in the area. The project was hailed as one of the exemplary forests managed in the whole of Asia and the Pacific by the

United Nations Food and Agriculture Organization The Food and Agriculture Organization of the United Nations (FAO)french: link=no, Organisation des Nations unies pour l'alimentation et l'agriculture; it, Organizzazione delle Nazioni Unite per l'Alimentazione e l'Agricoltura is an intern ...

. On January 22, 2014, the Provincial Capitol of

, headed by the Economic Enterprise Development Department, planted 8,000 new mangrove

propagules In biology, a propagule is any material that functions in propagating an organism to the next stage in its life cycle, such as by Biological dispersal, dispersal. The propagule is usually distinct in form from the parent organism. Propagules are ...

on a area of the Eco-park. The mangrove-planting activity was aimed to minimize climate change and to replace the mangrove trees that were destroyed due to

Typhoon Haiyan (Yolanda) Typhoon Haiyan, known in the Philippines as Super Typhoon Yolanda, was one of the most powerful tropical cyclones ever recorded. On making landfall, Haiyan devastated portions of Southeast Asia, particularly the Philippines. It is one of the ...

Features

Today, the Bakhawan Eco-Park is considered as one of the most popular tourist attractions in

. The centerpiece of the Eco-Park is a bamboo trail that takes visitors deep into the mangrove forest. The park is an ideal destination for

ecotourism Ecotourism is a form of tourism involving responsible travel (using sustainable transport) to natural areas, conserving the environment, and improving the well-being of the local people. Its purpose may be to educate the traveler, to provide funds ...

, it is home to different species of mangrove trees and it serves as a

sanctuary A sanctuary, in its original meaning, is a sacred place, such as a shrine. By the use of such places as a haven, by extension the term has come to be used for any place of safety. This secondary use can be categorized into human sanctuary, a saf ...

for various types of birds and marine species. Other features in the park includes a watchtower, souvenir shop, canteen, massage area, charcoal briquetting, picnic huts and a Center for International Mangrove Studies.

Gallery

References

External links

Mangrove- Bakhawan Eco-ParkMust Visit , Kalibo, Aklan
{{coord, 11.7181, N, 122.3856, E, source:wikidata-and-enwiki-cat-tree_region:PH, display=title Kalibo Forests of the Philippines Mangrove ecoregions Geography of Aklan Tourist attractions in Aklan