Wednesday, January 24, 2007 Participative watershed management pushed By Jane Cadalig
TO SAVE the watersheds that play major roles in sustaining the environment and livelihood of the people, the National Irrigation Administration (NIA) is embarking on a participatory watershed conservation program.
The project intends to mobilize communities in watershed areas to be part in preserving the remaining forest covers, which are the main sources of water needed for irrigation.
NIA Regional Director Abraham Akilit said the denudation of the forests reduces the volume of water used to irrigate farmlands, and as a result, also cause food scarcity.
Human activities like gardening, intentional burning of the forests, pocket mining and illegal logging are among the major contributors to forest denudation, he added.
The NIA has partnered with the environment department for the rehabilitation of the region's watershed.
"Watersheds are part of irrigation and we have to preserve these resources to sustain irrigation," Akilit told reporters in a forum.
These agencies are now promoting agro-forestry, both in public and private lands.
Akilit said the participative watershed rehabilitation program is anchored on reward system, although adding that the reward is not monetary. "We provide planting materials (fruit bearing trees) to the community and the produce of these trees will be theirs," he said.
Aside from helping preserve the forests, the promotion of agro-forestry would also raise the income of the farmers.
The NIA is also pursuing the rehabilitation of the existing irrigation systems and the construction of new ones to enhance productivity and income of the people.
