The Negros Occidental Coastal Wetlands Conservation Area is one of the largest and most internationally important wetland systems in the central Philippines, extending across nearly 90,000 hectares of coastline, intertidal flats, mangroves, and coastal waters. The site supports globally significant congregations of migratory waterbirds, with multiple species exceeding the 1% flyway population threshold, including Great Knot Calidris tenuirostris, Chinese Egret Egretta eulophotes, and Black-tailed Godwit Limosa limosa, confirming its critical role within the East Asian Australasian Flyway.

Beyond avifauna, the site supports a wide range of threatened marine and coastal species, including Irrawaddy Dolphin Orcaella brevirostris and Dugong Dugong dugon, alongside extensive fisheries that sustain local livelihoods. The persistence of these values depends on maintaining the integrity of intertidal habitats and mangrove systems, which are increasingly under pressure from aquaculture expansion, coastal development, and resource use, highlighting the need for coordinated coastal management and habitat restoration.

RFI Site Snapshot