Governments urged to plant bamboos in landslide-prone areas

Thursday, February 9, 2012

THE Department of Environment and Natural Resources (DENR) in Eastern Visayas has urged local government units in the region tagged by the Mines and Geosciences Bureau (MGB) as landslide-prone areas to embark on bamboo-propagation projects.

"This is the only tree variety best suited along river banks to mitigate landslides. And we need local authorities to initiate the planting of this specieS," DENR Regional Technical Director Manolito Ragub said.

Have something to report? Tell us in text, photos or videos.

Almost all provinces in the region have areas that are prone to disaster with at least 2,531 villages considered to be susceptible to landslides.

“Bamboo has a wide spreading root system capable of holding loose soil. In other words, the tree is deep-rooted and best suited against landslides,” Ragub said.

The roots of the tree are capable of expanding by 25 percent to hold six cubic meters of soil, he said.

“But some locals are not interested to plant this tree because of its high mortality and the longer caring period. The indigenous community, however, knowing of the advantages of this tree, has the proper manner of planting bamboos with a significant survival,” he said.

Aside from bamboos, the environment official said the utilization of vetiver grass is also advisable in erosion control programs in shoreline and road slopes.

In fact, the Department of Public Works and Highways (DPWH) has started adopting the grass variety in the implementation of its programs in road infrastructure.

Vetiver grass grows downward two to four meters deep, which is excellent in protecting the soil from sheer erosion.

Meanwhile, Ragub said they will integrate this year in the implementation of the National Greening Program the planting of bamboo and other indigenous deep-rooted species in most of the targeted 12,365 hectares of land across the region.

“Aside from its being a big help in mitigating landslides, bamboo is also a source of livelihood. It can be a source of food, construction materials, for tahong industry, among others,” he said. (Leyte Samar Daily Express)