Contextualizing Sustainability as an Environmental Policy: A
Case Study in Line with David Attenborough’s A Life on a
Planet
Chapter I
This section will thoroughly discuss the (1) problem, (2) significant terms that will
be used on the entire study, (3) hypothesis, (4) related literatures that will help to analyze
and interpret the data, lastly (4) the significance of this study.
Statement of the Problem:
Generally, this study sought to discuss the importance of contextualizing
sustainability as environmental policy to resolve the problems highlighted in a
documentary film entitled, A Life on Our Planet.
Specifically, this case study aims to answer the following questions:
1. What is the significance of contextualizing sustainability to the
environmental problems?
2. What particular environmental problem/s does the contextualization
of sustainability
3. How does contextualizing sustainability become effective to resolve
environmental problem?
Presentation of the Problem
This case study opted to attain the following objectives to in line with the
environmental policy that will provide in accordance to the general goal of this research.
1. To know the significance of contextualization of sustainability to resolve
environmental problems.
2. To discover the particular problems that contextualization of sustainability
might resolve.
3. To explain the effectivity of contextualization of sustainability to resolve
environmental problems.
Definition of Terms
Biodiversity- a various kind of life that is observable in one area – the variety of
animals, plants, fungi, along with the microorganisms such as; bacteria that
comprises the natural world
Contextualization- a process of considering something in its context.
Environmental Policy- the only policy domain which has the main goal of
protecting nonhuman entities; concerned with the process and relationship
between humans and the natural environment in a beneficial manner
Hypothesis
Ho: Contextualization of sustainability can be an effective pathway to resolve
environmental problems that the world currently facing.
Review of Related Literature
This section will present the reviewed literature and studies that will be utilize to
interpret and analyze the data that will be latter presented by the researcher.
Environmental problems, drastic decline of biodiversity, and mass extinction are
generally happening to the world. Countries from the different parts of the globe has
crafted their policy and steps to eradicate, recalibrate, and resolve arising environmental
struggles. According to Organization for Economic Cooperation and Development
(2001) policy-makers from countries can contribute to give solution to the environmental
problems and struggles that the world is facing.
Furthermore, according to Balfour, et. al (2020) human linkages are an adamant
need for the sustainable development goals, in particular to the environment, to function
and become effective. In line with the former argument, according to Schaafsma,
Schleicher, & Vira (2018), encouraging locally shared visions of development (SDG in
particular) is deemed to lead into action. Thus, humankind function is essential to
resolve, recalibrate, and eradicate multiple environmental challenges. In line with this, to
make the humankind function, it is a requirement that they understand the objective and
also know how to attain the objective in a manner that is contextualize to their own
nature and living.
Contextualization, according to Cambridge, is a process of considering
something in its context. In this case study, the researcher argued that contextualizing
the concept of sustainable development goals (SDG) crafted by the United Nations is
essential to the effectivity in the Philippine environmental policy implementation.
Moreover, environmental policy in a nutshell, according to International
Encyclopedia of the Social & Behavioral Science (2015) is the only policy domain which
has the main goal of protecting nonhuman entities. Hence, the aforementioned policy
protects the biodiversity and other living organisms that will also able to the sustenance
of humankind. Apart from the previous stance, Benson & Jordan (2015) argued that
environmental policy is concerned with the process and relationship between humans
and the natural environment in a beneficial manner. Thus, this heightened the fact that
the mankind and environment are likely to benefit from each other, which also give the
humanity the responsibility to take with the resources as they have the rationality to do
it.
Meanwhile, Global Environmental Facility (2020) had published a news about the
environmental problems and resolution of the Philippines, according to their news; the
country is experiencing much stronger and more frequent typhoons which affected the
economy, agriculture, and infrastructure, alongside with these, droughts associated with
El Niño cycles, which disrupt the normal predicted rain patterns which impact the water
security. Hence, with all these reported cases, the Philippines are now gaining its
impact through rising sea levels, increasing water temperatures along with the
acidification rate of oceans which affect the vast marine biodiversity.
Recently, the System of Designated Statistics (SDS) Admin (2020) has published
a Philippine Action Plan for Sustainable Consumption and Production (PAP4SCP)
which is a framework to influence the sustainable behavior and practices from across
sectors and levels of the government through implementation of policy reforms and set
of action over short, medium and long-term process. This plan is crafted to suffice the
goal of the SDG adopted by the United Nations, which includes the goal of protecting
the biodiversity and give resolution to the climate change. Thus, this plan shows that
contextualizing the sustainable development goal is essential to resolve the
environmental issues.
Significance of the Study
This study will be beneficial to the environmental sectors, educational institution,
government, community, present researcher and future researchers in various manner,
as indicated:
To the Environmental Sector. This study will be beneficial for them as this will provide
a pathway on how to gradually resolve the environmental problems that is surfacing.
To the Educational Institution. As the world is deemed to be the home to cater the
young ones, they also had the responsibility to take care of it. Alongside with this, the
educational institution will be the medium to transfer the knowledge to protect and
sustain their environment. Thus, the institution will able to train educators to teach each
and every student by adopting the contextualized sustainability.
To the Government. This study will shed the light to the government to implement
policy that will resolve the environmental problems which accords to the contextualized
concept of sustainability.
Present Researcher of the Study. The study will deem beneficial for the researcher as
it will provide a possible pathway to resolve environmental issues through crafting a
policy by utilizing the data and the discussion.
Future Researchers. This will help them to provide a data and analysis that will enable
to lead them to craft ways to recalibrate the biodiversity and discover action and policy
implementation that will help to eradicate the environmental issues.
Chapter II
This part of the paper will discuss the overview of the case, presentation of the
information and its analysis, argument and evidence, and the valuable and concrete
information that will thoroughly help the researcher to describe and illustrate the course
of the study.
Background of the Research
In the massive land where the humankind live, it is clearly shown that the
environment together its biodiversity has given the mankind a source of energy and
entire life. Furthermore, in the documentary of Attenborough (2020) he argued that the
humanity relies on the balanced life support which is dependent to the existing
biodiversity to be successful and run smoothly.
Moreover, as presented in the documentary, the entire world has been
challenged of the mass extinction due to the declining biodiversity which opted to help
to maintain the stability. As argued by Hancock (2020), biodiversity is a various kind of
life that is observable in one area – the variety of animals, plants, fungi, along with the
microorganisms such as; bacteria that comprises the natural world. Thus, this species
and organisms work hand-in-hand to achieve the balance in ecosystem. In line with the
aforementioned argument, United Nations Organization, (2019) million numbers of
animal and species are currently threatened with extinction which said that the average
abundance of native species in major land-based habitats has fallen by nearly 20%
since 1900.
Meanwhile, in Southeast Asian region, according to Fahn (2003), due to rapid
growth of fuel, forests have been stripped for lumber and the land exhausted for new
agriculture. Alongside with this Fahn (2003) argued that the environmental degradation
in Southeast Asia might affect the world big time. Moreover, according to Fallin &
Hiebert (2021), Southeast Asia is predicted to be the most vulnerable regions to climate
change due to the unprecedented us of greenhouse gas pollution. Hence, the
arguments have clearly shown that the environmental struggle that a region has
experienced has its effect to the entire world which also reflect that a part of a world is
not apart from the struggle that the other has facing.
Running down to the Philippine environmental landscape, according to the US
Agency for International Development (2022), the country faces environmental
challenges namely; (1) water and air pollution, (2) greenhouse gas emissions, and (3)
vulnerability to the impacts of environmental disasters. In addition to the previous
argument, according to Myers (1988), the Philippines is also facing environmental
degradation in the form of deforestation, soil erosion, disruption of hydrological systems,
over abuse of fisheries, destruction and bleaching of coral reefs, and extinction of the
species. Henceforth, this conveys that the environmental degradation is not new in the
Philippine landscape yet it is an old-time occurring phenomena without enough cure.
In the interim, sustainable development goals (SDG) has been coined and adopt
by the United Nations Member States in 2015 which includes the Philippines (United
Nations Development Programme, n.d). SDG has a goal and plan to recalibrate and
resolve the environmental problems that the world has currently face namely; (1) SDG
13: climate action, which opted to take urgent action to combat climate change and its
impact, (2) SDG 14: life below water, which is a goal to conserve and sustainably use
the oceans, seas and marine resources for sustainable development, and lastly (3)
SDG 15: life on land which goal is to protect, restore and promote sustainable use of
terrestrial ecosystems, sustainability manage forests, combat desertification, and halt
and reverse land degradation and halt biodiversity loss (United Nations Development
Programme, n.d). However, to effectively attain sustainability, in particular, the SDG, the
Philippines has to thrive to contextualize the concept in accordance to the way of life of
the Filipinos. In line with the former argument, Roldan (2018) said that programs
conducted by the NGO and SDG indicators should be intertwined, integrative national
development framework is essential to successfully implement and attain the indicators
and its objective.
Thus, this case study has an objective to amplify the policy of contextualizing the
sustainable development goal for the environment to eradicate, recalibrate, and resolve
the environmental challenges that the Philippines faced to contribute to the healing of
the reclining of biodiversity of the world.
Presentation of Data and Its Analysis
This section will present data and figures according to the environmental
problems from the documentary entitled, Life of the Planet by Attenborough (2020) that
deemed to reflect the issues in the Philippine environmental landscape.
According to Attenborough (2020), humankind that are living in Earth is causing
the biodiversity to decline.
Figure 1: A screen captured photo showing deforestation in a documentary, life of a planet
Human errors and bad planning lead to enormous destruction of one’s place
which according to Attenborough (2020) became a place which humans cannot live.
Figure 2: A screen captured photo showing Ukraine inhabitable place.
Meanwhile, in year 1937, the world population is around 2.3 billion, while the
carbon in atmosphere is roughly 280 parts per million, and the remaining wilderness of
the world is around 66% (Attenborough, 2020). Thus, it reflects that the world is rich in
biodiversity on the former.
Furthermore, in line with the history where civilization is rooted from the
discovery of herding animals and cultivating plants but as the humans evolve as they
learnt to exploit the season to produce food, they also learnt how to exploit the species
and crops.
Moreover, as the documentary continues, Attenborough (2020) argued that the
once a species became the target of humans there are no way for them in this earth
they could hide. Just like the whales, as an example in the documentary, where the
specie is being slaughtered by industrial whaling ships in 1970s.
Figure 3: A screen captured photo showing slaughtered whales in Hawaii
Figure 4: A screen captured photo showing protesters in line with the call to stop killing whales.
In the Southeast Asian region, a massive destruction of habitat has seen by
David Attenborough in 1950s which said that from roughly 75% of the rainforest has
been turn down to 37.5% which is half of the habitat.
Figure 5: A screen captured photo showing the decline of rainforest and habitat in Southeast Asian
Region.
Figure 6: A screen captured photo showing the trees cutting down in the rainforest of Borneo.
Cutting down trees is considered unsustainable where there are great chances to
accumulate the collapse of a system and its diversity. Land living organisms is not just
the nonhuman that is at stake, even the life below water is endangered.
Figure 7: A screen captured photo showing coral bleaching in the vast ocean.
Coral reefs were turning white which cause by the algae the expels the lives
symbiotically in its body, which has also affected the life of marine species due to the
decline of their ecosystem. Thus, this reflects that a wonderland under the water has
become a wasteland that emancipate the skeletons of dead creatures as Attenborough
(2020) said.
Argument
From the previous section, it is tackled in general the phenomenon that the world
has experience when it comes to environmental issues and struggle has faced. In line
with this, the researcher argued that the abovementioned problems, such as
degradation of biodiversity, drought and pollution, endangering biodiversity that affects
humankind ecosystem is not apart from the experience of the Philippines.
Furthermore, policy implementation and strengthening the implementation of
sustainable development goals in the country is essential to resolve and combat the
said struggles and issues.
Thus, contextualization of sustainable development goals can become a
pathway, not just for the country but for the world to eradicate and provide measures to
cure the drastic effect of declining biodiversity.
Evidence
As argued by this research that the Philippines has a long way dealing with the
pressing environmental problems. According to Geronimo (2021) illegal fishing, floods
and reclamation is the most pressing issues that the Philippines is currently combating.
Thus, this proves that the Philippines has been experiencing a threat of declining of the
marine wildlife as it is not apart from other countries who is dealing with the same issue.
Meanwhile, as according to Myers (1988) the Philippines is also facing
environmental degradation in the form of deforestation, soil erosion, disruption of
hydrological systems, over abuse of fisheries, destruction and bleaching of coral reefs,
and extinction of the species. Hence, this entirely reflect that the nonhuman life is also
threatened with natural disaster and by the horrible action of humans through exploiting
resources.
Alongside with this, according to the US Agency for International Development
(2022), the country faces environmental challenges such as water and air pollution,
which according to Alindogan (2022) the Philippines is considered as the worst water
polluters into the extent that it is severely affect the citizen. Thus, this emancipate that
the citizens or mankind action can make or break the ecosystem and this also leads to
presumption that the government has to make a constructive policy and
contextualization of outside programs to resolve pressing environmental problems.
Henceforth, the Sustainable Development Goals contextualization is essential for
the vast number of populations of the Philippine landscape, to enable to produce an
actively participating citizen to attain the goals. Roldan (2018) said that programs
conducted by the NGO and SDG indicators should be intertwined, integrative national
development framework is essential to successfully implement and attain the indicators
and its objective.
Valuable and Concrete Information
This section will specifically present cases where the Philippines dwelling with
the pressing issue of environment.
Firstly, the research argued that the Philippines has unprecedented number of
illegal fishing which affect the marine diversity. In line with this issue, according to
United States Agency for International Developments (USAID); Philippine Bureau of
Fisheries and Aquatic Resources (BFAR) as cited in Bello (2021). P62 billion annually is
the country loses due to IUU fishing or the illegal, unreported, and unregulated fishing
which consider as threat to the economic aspect of the country and a growing threat to
the marine biodiversity and resources in such manner. Along with the environmental
problems within water, flood is considered as a frequent problem of the country, which
according to the Philippine Atmospheric, Geophysical and Astronomical Services
Administration (PAG-ASA) is a most destructive calamities that has to cope with. Thus,
as the season is inevitable and out of control, floods and rising water level is definitely
something to do with the human course of action which contribute to global warming
and water pollution.
As life in marine biodiversity is experiencing mishaps due to the human action,
the land organisms and ecosystem also juggling with the somewhat same problem and
threat. According to Bureau of Soils and Water Management (n.d), soil erosion in the
country results to land degradation, which kaingin or shifting cultivation and illegal
logging contributing cause has led to the loss of soil fertility, loss of productive topsoil,
and loss of vegetation and moreover threat the land-living organisms. Thus, the threats
due to abuse of resources in land ecosystem will lead to the decline of the biodiversity
that can massively affect the world.
Given some of the pressing environmental struggle that the Philippines has
experience, there are contextualizing policy that the country is currently implementing
such as a the Sustainable Development Goals or SDG. SDG has a goal and plan to
recalibrate and resolve the environmental problems that the world has currently face
namely; (1) SDG 13: climate action, which opted to take urgent action to combat climate
change and its impact, (2) SDG 14: life below water, which is a goal to conserve and
sustainably use the oceans, seas and marine resources for sustainable development,
and lastly (3) SDG 15: life on land which goal is to protect, restore and promote
sustainable use of terrestrial ecosystems, sustainability manage forests, combat
desertification, and halt and reverse land degradation and halt biodiversity loss (United
Nations Development Programme, n.d). Thus, outside policy implementation should be
contextualize to achieve the effectivity of the plan, and a Philippine Action Plan for
Sustainable Consumption and Production (PAP4SCP) which is a framework to influence
the sustainable behavior and practices from across sectors and levels of the
government through implementation of policy reforms and set of action over short,
medium and long-term process is essential to the recalibration, crafting resolution and
eradication of the environmental problems.
Chapter III
This section contains the recommendation and concluding statement of the
researcher that accords the importance of contextualization of the sustainability as
environmental policy implementation to combat the environmental problems that the
world and the country has currently experienced.
Recommendations:
The entire study has clearly shown the steps or pathways to resolve the
environmental problems by generally adopting and contextualizing the sustainable
development goals in the manner that the citizen will understand and perform which
accords their lifestyle.
This study recommends that the educational institution become a vessel of
knowledge and wisdom to instruct and teach the learners the ways that can possibly
contribute to the resolution of environmental problem which is anchored to the
contextualize policy of the government.
Alongside with this, the government should ensure the active participation of the
citizen within the project and programs that they will conduct to protect and recalibrate
the declining biodiversity as according to Balfour, et. al (2020) human linkages are an
adamant need for the sustainable development goals, in particular to the environment,
to function and become effective. However, they should also create a framework that is
more applicable to the lifestyle and skills that the citizen can perform, to enable to
ensure the effectiveness of the policy.
Concluding Statement
The entire study has impeccably illustrated and discussed the significance of
contextualization of the sustainability concept. This contextualization will be able to
engage the majority of the citizen to be part of the changes to recalibrate and revive the
declining biodiversity. Mentioning the various environmental problems such as, water
and air pollution, deforestation, soil erosion, coral bleaching, and etc. which is found out
to be cause of human action and abuse to the resources and environment itself, it is
also shown that only humans can create a solution for this by working hand-in-hand.
Perhaps, the humanity has gone to far utilizing the wonders of the ecosystem
that has been fronted and gifted to them. In contrary, humankind also has a hand and
rationality to create an action to resolve the matter. The environmental issues have
clearly showing that the humanity can choose their action, whether good or bad,
however they cannot choose its consequences.
The environmental policy is essential to govern the people by protecting the
nonhuman organisms, as according to International Encyclopedia of the Social &
Behavioral Science (2015) the environmental policy is only policy domain which has the
main goal of protecting nonhuman entities. Thus, proper implementation of this policy
like contextualized sustainable development goal will be able to be beneficial to heal the
Earth and to uplift the declining biodiversity.
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