Stakeholders keen on watersheds, river basins as basis for Mindanao dev't plan

By Carina L Cayon

Thursday 7th of June 2012

DAVAO CITY, June 7 (PIA) -- Various stakeholders in Mindanao have signified eagerness in considering watersheds and river basins as bases for planning the economic development in the island.

This stance of almost 300 stakeholders from different government agencies, private/business sector, religious sector, civil society, and non-government organizations was conveyed during the Mindanao Economy and Environment Summit held on June 4 and 5 at Grand Regal Hotel, Davao City.

“Everybody (in the summit) is agreeable to consider watersheds and river basins as bases for planning economic development in Mindanao,” Mindanao Development Authority (MinDA) Chair Luwalhati R. Antonino bared in a press conference last June 5.

She said the position of the stakeholders was one of the outcomes of the summit which tackled the importance of watersheds and river basins in the quest for food security and sustainable development in the island.

MinDA spearheaded the summit as a platform under the Mindanao Nurturing Our Waters (MindaNOW) Program, an integrative development initiative of MinDA that aims to institutionalize the sustainable development and management of Mindanao’s natural resources.

Antonino stated that Mindanawons have to make a decision of balancing the use of natural resources, such as using these for health use, general use, industry use, and for power generation.

However, Antonino said, “To enrich the economy, natural resources could be used by other sectors, while still maintaining ecological balance.”

She emphasized the need for the proper management and sustainable development of natural resources in Mindanao, noting its present condition which she said is in a “pathetic stage of degradation due to decades of neglect and abuse.”

“The quality of our waters has been degraded and rivers are now heavily-silted. Our coastal and marine resources have likewise been depleted,” Antonino lamented in her message during the opening rites of the summit.

She said there are 262 watershed areas and eight river basins in Mindanao that need to be preserved and protected. The country has 18 river basins.

At the summit, the stakeholders also came up with the recommendation to complete the organization of river basin councils across Mindanao, she stated.

She also mentioned that the stakeholders have drafted a doable action plan which will be integrated in the final plans under the MindaNOW program, adding that donor agencies have already committed to share some funds to help the program.

The implementation of the MindaNOW program is in partnership with key national government agencies such as the Department of Environment and Natural Resources, Department of Public Works and Highways, and the Department of Agriculture.

The other partner agencies are National Commission on Indigenous Peoples, Office of Civil Defense-National Disaster Risk Reduction and Management Council, National Economic and Development Authority, Department of Local and Interior Government, and the local government units.

The MindaNOW program also has allies from the private/business sector, religious sector, civil society, non-government organizations, and communities directly living within and near the river basins and watersheds. (CLC-PIA 11)
CLC