David Challenger
Source: CNN
February 5, 2010

Apo Island, Philippines - "Welcome, welcome," call out local women holding colorful T-shirts and quilts as pump boats carrying tourists pull up onto the shell-lined beach. "Please look, we have many things to sell."

Wading ashore through the crystal clear water, visitors are immediately struck by an air of optimism and confidence that resonates throughout the island village community.

But it could have ended up being all so very different.

Situated in the Mindanao Sea in the southern Philippines, Apo Island may be small at just 0.7 km/sq, but its reputation as a successful example of environmental sustainability has grown rapidly, all due to a bold experiment that started in the 1970s.

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