Minda, DENR targets 30% forest cover in 5 years
AS PART of the Mindanao Nurturing Our Waters (MindaNOW) program, the Mindanao Development Authority (Minda) with Department of Environment and Natural Resources (DENR) target to increase Mindanao’s forest cover from the present 23 percent to at least 30 percent by 2020.
“We envision Mindanao’s forest cover to reach 30 percent of the 10-million hectares land area by 2020, but we are challenged as destructive practices such as illegal logging continue,” said Joan Barrera, chief of Minda’s Policy Planning and Project Development Office.
Barrera added that based on the standards set by the Department of Environment and Natural Resources (DENR), Mindanao’s forest range should be 59 percent of the total land area.
In a bid to record effectively the inventory of the remaining forest in Mindanao, the DENR would start requiring local government units (LGUs) in Mindanao next year to start submitting forest land-use plans.
Meanwhile, Mindanao’s eight river basin organizations are eyed to be strengthened within 2020 as they will be tasked to manage the river basins issues and concerns.
“Once strengthened, RBOs will be transitioned to be into a council able to craft policies, enforce laws or raise funds for programs essential for the rivers sustainability,” Yvette Valderia, department management officer of Minda’s Policy Planning and Project Development Office for her part said.
Minda envisions for these RBO’s to become river basin authorities with more powers.
The eight major river basins in Mindanao are, Agus River Basin, Agusan River Basin, Cagayan de Oro River Basin, Tagoloan River Basin, Tagum-Libuganon River Basin, Mindanao River Basin, Tagum-Libuganon River Basin, Buayan-Malungan River Basin, and Davao River Basin.
Among the critical issues identified by the organizations are siltation, watershed management, flood, and making the community living near the river banks or flood plains aware of their life-threatening situation, among others.
Secretary Luwalhati Antonino of Minda said earlier that RBOs are now armed with master plans which are already in various levels of functionality and are now implementing priority projects,” she said adding that the projects may be structural or non-structural.
Structural interventions are composed of infrastructure and other flood-control projects, while non-structural interventions include reforestation, mangrove rehabilitation, and sustainable watershed management.