During a five-day visit to project sites, the Ecosystem-based Adaptation in 2 River Basins (E2RB) team, in partnership with the provincial offices of the Department of Environment and Natural Resources (DENR), provincial governments of Davao del Norte and Davao de Oro, and municipal governments of Monkayo, San Isidro and Kapalong, demonstrated continued commitment to the management of the Tagum-Libuganon River Basin (TLRB).
The team conducted various project implementation activities in TLRB with emphasis on local subsidy agreements, particularly assessment of status of submitted proposals and discussions of their technical details; documentary requirements; and financial aspects of project planning and implementation.
The local subsidy agreements are arrangements between the E2RB project and the local government units (LGUs) to implement EbA measures to reduce environmental degradation and maintain the health of watersheds and rivers in selected areas within their jurisdictions.
The visit culminated in a hybrid meeting jointly presided by Chamberlain J. Babiera and Rita Fe Gunn, Provincial Environment and Natural Resources Officers (PENROs) for Davao del Norte and Davao de Oro, respectively, and attended by the regional project managers for Davao and Caraga Regions. The meeting concluded with action plans to further strengthen the river basin management structure and partnerships in TLRB.
The E2RB Project is a technical cooperation between the DENR and Deutsche Gesellschaft Internationale Zusammenarbeit (GIZ) GmbH. It implements the application of nature-based solutions as adaptation measures for the adverse effects of climate change in two selected sites – the Ilog-Hilabangan River Basin in Negros Island (IHRB) and the Tagum-Libuganon River Basin (TLRB) in Davao and Caraga Regions.
The ecosystem-based adaptation (EbA) is a nature-based solution that highlights the tenuous link and feedback mechanism between the environment and the local communities. The project focuses on water security, biodiversity conservation and disaster risk reduction as a result of healthy ecosystems in the river basins. (GIZ-E2RB/ Mylene Grace Velasquez)
