Japanese ODA funds CAR’s watershed upkeep

BAGUIO CITY, Philippines – The highland Cordillera, Northern Luzon’s watershed cradle, is receiving two big watershed projects worth P3.8 billion from  Japan’s Official Development Fund.  

Launched in Ifugao, the first project, the Forestland Management Project for Upper Magat and Cagayan River Basin, a 10-year project amounting P1.2 billion by the Japan International Cooperation Agency (JICA) will strengthen forestland management through collaboration and holistic implementation of comprehensive and sustainable forestland management strategies in critical river basins, the Department of Environment and Natural Resources-Cordillera said.

The second is the Integrated Natural Resources and Environmental Management (INREM), a 10-year project amounting P2.6 billion funded by the Asian Development Bank (ADB) and will be implemented in the Chico River Basin.

The INREM, the DENR-Cordillera said, aims to increase revenues of local government units/people’s organizations/indigenous peoples organizations based watershed through enterprises from watershed management, biodiversity conservation and livelihood investments.

The INREM project will also improve livelihoods in the Upper River Basins (URBs) through effective provision of ecosystem services. The outcome will contribute to the increase of rural household incomes in four selected URBs resulting from improved livelihood support and watershed management.

The project covers 454,621 hectares located in all the provinces and one city in the region -- Barlig, Bauko, Bontoc, Sabangan, Sagada, Natonin, in Mountain Province; Balbalan, Lubuagan, Pasil, Pinukpuk, Rizal,Tanudan,Tinglayan, in Kalinga; Conner and Kabugao in Apayao; Banaue, Hungduan, and Tinoc in Ifugao and Buguias in Benguet and Tabuk City.

The projects have the following components: river basin and watershed management planning, small holder/commercial/institutional investment, enhance capacity on river basin and watershed management, project management and support services.