Apo Agua, DCWD asked to present plans to water council
DAVAO CITY — A non-government organization has raised concerns over the planned bulk water supply project that will tap the Tamugan River, one of Davao City’s protected watershed areas. Interface Development Interventions (IDIS), an NGO working to protect Davao’s watershed areas, has asked the project proponents, the Davao City Water District (DCWD) and Apo Aqua Infrastructra, Inc. (AAII),to present their agreement and plan before the Water Management Council (WMC). “We recognize the need to produce more potable water but there are legitimate concerns on the potential negative impact of the project to local biodiversity and the communities living near the rivers,” said Chinkie Pelino, IDIS advocacy coordinator and a member of the WMC.
2015 Watershed Summit to review impact of reforestation efforts
This year’s Watershed Summit will highlight various reforestation initiatives in Davao City, from the uplands down to the coastal areas. “Over the years, there have been a lot of reforestation activities conducted by government, schools, and private organizations along the watersheds. Now, its time for us to view how far we’ve reached in terms of whether we have been able to reforest our uplands in order to protect our water sources,” said Watershed Management Council (WMC) member and IDIS executive director Ann Fuertes. Around 150 stakeholders will attend the summit, which will be hosted by the University of Mindanao, on June 26 and 27, 2015.
Trees downtown neglected, misused
THE Interface Development Interventions Inc. (Idis) called for conservation efforts to protect Davao City’s urban biodiversity after a City Environment and Natural Resources (Cenro) survey of the city’s urban parks and forests revealed signs of neglect and misuse of trees growing all over the metro. “We should also expand local conservation efforts to include the trees that are growing in our city parks because they help cool down urban temperature, reduce noise and air pollution and minimize urban flooding,” said Idis executive director Ann Fuertes. Urban parks also provide mini-habitats for animals, especially birds, according to Fuertes.
Watershed trees lost to ravages of El Niño
DAVAO CITY — About 300 various seedlings out of 1,000 planted in the city’s watershed areas under an agro-forestry program did not survive the dry spell brought about by the prevailing El Niño, the environmental group Interface Development Interventions, Inc. (IDIS) reported. IDIS Program Coordinator Chinke Pelino said the group has temporarily stopped planting activities and intends to resume by June in the hope of rain brought about by the wet season. The Philippine weather bureau has issued an advisory saying that the current mild El Niño could extend to the second half of the year.
Environment group backs green spaces for kids
TO SHOW support for a campaign for more green spaces for schoolchildren, the Interface Development Interventions (Idis) will join the Tuburan Institute’s Family Adventure Fun Run on April 19. Idis Executive Director Mary Ann Fuertes said bringing children closer to nature can help nurture a lifelong passion for environment protection. “Not only is nature appreciation essential in the physical, emotional and spiritual development of children, it is also important in developing Davao’s next generation of environmental stewards,” she said in a statement sent to Sun.Star Davao.
Lunhaw Awardee calls for more tree growing activities in the watershed
DAVAO CITY – This year’s winner of the Lunhaw Awards for the Best Agro-Forestry Initiative called for an intensification of tree growing activities along the watershed to reverse the damage caused by widespread agriculture development in the area. “Today’s celebration of the International Day of Forests is an opportunity for us to emphasize the importance of forests and of trees outside our forests.”, said artist-teacher Ric Obenza. Obenza, together with the Kalapati group of artists, is famous for his art and ecology workshops which have spurred widespread community initiatives on tree planting and rainforestation projects in Baguio, Calinan, Marahan and Marilog districts. “Trees are essential in regenerating our watersheds. They absorb carbon dioxide and mitigate the impact of global warming brought about by excessive use of fossil fuels. They cool down our rivers and maintain water quality by preventing soil erosion”, he said. IDIS Executive Director Ann Fuertes credits Obenza’s tree planting initiatives as instrumental in creating pockets of mini-forests in a watershed that is being encroached by plantations. “His mini-rainforest parks have become buffer zones against banana and pineapple plantations, protecting communities from toxic pesticides and providing habitats for local wildlife to flourish.”, she said. The Lunhaw Awards recognized Obenza’s soil generation technique and innovative rainforestation methods which have stopped the desertification of upland areas previously cleared for logging and plantations. His use of native trees and organic methods of farming have revitalized the forest land , allowing local animals and plants to survive and providing a source of forest products for communities to economically benefit from. Worldwide, global deforestation continues at a frightening rate. The United Nations estimates that around 13 million hectares are destroyed annually, accounting for a 12 to 20 percent of the global greenhouse gas emissions responsible for climate change. In the Philippines, changing land use policies in recent decades have opened up forest land to industrial agriculture and urban migration. This has resulted to the decline of the dipterocarp forest cover in the watersheds – a situation that Obenza hopes to arrest by engaging more community stakeholders in rainforestation activities. “Our conscious turnaround from nature exploiter to environment steward is pivotal in reversing environmental degradation, habitat destruction and biodiveristy extinction. The call of the hour is to ‘Think globally, act locally’. Everyone should do their share by nurturing a tree.”, Obenza said. (MINDANAO DAILY MIRROR)