By ARMANDO B. FENEQUITO JR.
The Watershed Management Council (WMC) of Davao City launched yetsterday a reforestation project in the riverbanks of the tributaries inside Panigan-Tamugan watershed to protect its headwaters which will be the source of world-class drinking water.
In a statement, the Interface Development Interventions , Inc (IDIS) said that the project aims to rehabilitate the areas which are already delineated by WMC as critical conservation and protection areas. IDIS is the non-government organization representative of WMC.
The project also aims to cover eight watersheds in the city and at the end of the project year, incentives will be given to the best community-managed forest corridor.
“This initiative gathers stakeholders to plant trees along the banks of streams and rivers creating riparian forest corridors throughout the Panigan – Tamugan Watershed,” IDIS Executive Director Mary Ann Fuertes said in the statement.
Fuertes added that the riparian forest corridors are essentially buffer zones or easement banks in the rivers and streams which will serve as flood and erosion prevention.
“They are very important in forest ecology because not only do they prevent pesticide residues from reaching the rivers, they also serve as natural sponges which absorb excess run-off during heavy rains,” Fuertes stressed.
The project is funded by Foundation for the Philippine Environment (FPE) which will identify appropriate riverbank sites for tree growing in coordination with the riverbank communities and barangays.
“Endemic fruit trees will be prioritized in the tree growing activities with the communities being coached to take the lead in monitoring and evaluation, ” the statement stipulated.
Furtes said that the barangay volunteers will be trained as ‘Bantay Bukid’ personnel who will help them to protect the forest corridors.
“Agro-forestry livelihood initiatives will also be implemented by the WMC so that communities can also generate additional income,” Fuertes said.
The initial areas identified fro the project are in the upland barangays of Tambobong, Tamugan, Wine, Gumalang and Tawan-tawan.
City Environment and Natural Resources Office (CENRO) head Engr. Eliza Madrazo said that through this project the riverbanks will finally be highlighted for strategic impact in watershed management.
“It is my hope that all riverbanks, especially  urban riverbanks will be eventually covered by this project,” Madrazo said.
The establishment of buffer zones along riverbanks is mandated by the Watershed Protection and Conservation and Management Ordinance of the city.
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