DAVAO CITY—Now holding its 4th annual stakeholders’ summit, the Watershed Management Council announced that the summit this year will focus on the sustainable watershed management here.
The summit is an annual event spearheaded by the Watershed Management Council in partnership with various local government agencies, environmental networks, non-government organizations and civil society organizations.
The summit carries the theme of “A Closer Look at Our Partnerships Towards Sustainable Watershed Management”. Chinkie Golle of the Interface Development Interventions (IDIS) said that invited resource persons from organizations and institutions with watershed concerns “will share and promote their initiatives and assessing the possibility of collecting payment for watershed services,” she said.
Golle said that they will also present the inputs on water quality and quantity.
“The water quality management area will be represented by the Environmental Management Bureau (EMB) Region XI, they will represent their water quality monitoring results, so we will know the status of our river water,” she said.
Other partners include the Philippine Eagle Foundation and the Davao City Water District, whose spokesman, Atty. Bernardo De Lima said they will present to the public the status of the water here.
“We have concluded the study on ground water assessment and we will be discussing that study during the summit so that the public will know what is the status and health of our aquifer in Davao City,” he said.
Dr. Jayson Ibañez, Philippine Eagle Foundation (PEF) Research and Conservation director said they will highlight the indigenous people living in Mount Apo as the natural forest guards taking care of the watershed.
“We all know that in Davao the watershed overlaps to the ancestral domains of at least four ethno-linguistic tribes, now we are currently popularizing their engagement as the indigenous forest guards taking care of our watershed on behalf, not only of Davao,but of the whole nation as well,” he said.
Ibañez said that the summit can accommodate 200 participants on August 24-25. The first day would be held at the Ritz Hotel, Garden Oasis, Porras St. and on the second there will be learning visits to Philippine Eagle Center and Aboitiz Cleanergy Park. (davaotoday.com)
