DAVAO CITY – There is a need to create alternative livelihood opportunities that will help protect and sustainably manage Davao City’s watersheds.
This will be among the key recommendations submitted during the Davao Watershed Stakeholders Summit which opened yesterday at the Ritz Hotel, Garden Oases in Obrero.
Based on a study conducted by the Interface Development Interventions (IDIS), the group will look for ways in whicl local government units (LGUs) and stakeholders can provide financial support to residents whose livelihood has been affected by the implementation of various water conservation laws.
This initiative will help lessen the negative impact of human activities on the city’s watershed areas.
“The ‘payment’ doesn’t have to come in the form of financial aid.”, explained IDIS Executive Director Mary Anne Fuertes.
She added that they do not want these funds underutilized, as they want to invest on trainings that will focus on environmentally-friendly practices.
Fuertes said that their group’s study was patterned after a Latin American research which investigated how the incorrect practices of livestock farmers were adversely affecting their water resources.
The Latin paper revealed that the conditions in the country improved when the farmers were assisted by businesses in implementing more environmentally-safe methods in raising livestock.
Fuertes, however, noted that consultations between all stakeholders to determine the feasibility of the “payment scheme” will take a long time.
These recommendations were also taken into consideration when they crafted the 2017-2019 agenda of the Watershed Management Council (WMC) to be funded by the City Government of Davao.
The annual Watershed Summit is a gathering of key stakeholders under the Watershed Management Council (WMC) which aims to tackle pressing issues confronting the city’s water resources, and formulate recommendations on how to address these concerns.
The organizers of the Watershed Summit include IDIS, Davao City Water District (DCWD), Philippine Eagle Foundation, Department of Environment and Natural Resources (DENR) Region 11, Department of Science and Technology (DOST) Region 11, Hydrology for Environment, Life and Policy-Davao Network and the Davao Medical Society. (Tiziana Celine S. Piatos/EDGE DAVAO)