Monday, April 09, 2007 Land use plan for foreshore areas sought
FORESHORE areas of the country lacked land use plans, a senior official from the Department of Environment and Natural Resources (DENR) lamented.
Environment Undersecretary for Staff Bureaus Manuel Gerochi stressed the need to establish land use plans in foreshore areas amid development like setting up of wharves, beach resorts and industries in coastal locations.
"We should not be too engrossed with our regulatory functions like permitting and issuance of leases such that we fail to rationalize our actions. Land uses in foreshore areas must be compatible to one another," Gerochi said in statement recently released by the regional Environment office.
A foreshore land is defined as that part of the shore which is alternately covered and uncovered by the ebb and flow of the tide.
Gerochi explained that an inventory of foreshore lands and a comprehensive land use map of the local government units are prerequisites in the preparation of foreshore land use plans.
In line with this, he announced the holding of the proposed nationwide training on land use planning in May this year to address the situation.
DENR Regional Director Jim Sampulna said he directed his field officers covering the coastal areas in this city, Sarangani and Sultan Kudarat provinces and Cotabato City to immediately update their inventory of foreshore areas in preparation for the proposed foreshore land use planning. (BSS)
