Friday, August 29, 2008 Inter-regional summit on watersheds set By Rimaliza Opiña
AN INTER-REGIONAL watershed summit will be held this October to discuss how the Cordillera and regions dependent on the water production of this region can help conserve sources of the supply in view of the denudation of Cordillera Administrative Region (CAR)'s forests.
Stressing an abundant supply of water is critical in supplying the needs for agriculture, science, domestic, and many other uses, several government agencies in Baguio City lobbied for the holding of an inter-regional summit in order to enjoin all stakeholders dependent on water to help in preservation efforts.
Department of the Environment and Natural Resources (DENR) Regional Executive Director Samuel Peñafiel said if preservation and reforestation efforts were limited to only one agency, it will take years to reforest the entire Cordillera.
He said government funds are not enough to sustain preservation efforts. As such, agencies like the DENR, Departments of Agriculture and Agrarian Reform (DA, DAR) are looking into the possibility of imposing taxes on local governments making use of water supplied by the Cordillera.
Fees will be used for continuing preservation and maintenance of irrigation systems, Peñafiel said.
In the meantime, Peñafiel said the master plans for major river systems in the region have already been submitted to the Asian Development Bank for possible funding.
"The public has very little awareness of the importance of conserving watersheds," Agrarian Reform Director Renato Navata added.
To garner support in the conservation efforts, the Regional Development Council (RDC) in the Cordillera is promoting community-based work and co-management with local governments to sustain forest and watersheds.
