The Manila Times

DENR project to protect Samar Protected Landscape

DEPARTMENT of Environment and Natural Resources (DENR) project to build socioeconomic resilience in the Catubig Watershed will protect the Samar Protected Landscape and Seascape while supporting the livelihood of rice farmers, craftsmen and fishers.

The Small Grants Program (SGP) Phase 7, funded by the Global Environment Facility (GEF), was launched by the DENR last April 8.

It involves livelihood and biodiversity projects in four sites. These are in Aurora province (Sierra Madre), Calamianes Group of Islands in Palawan, and Siargao Protected Landscape and Seascape in Surigao del Norte. Phase 7 sustains the project that was started under GEF-Phase 5.

The DENR-GEF SGP-7’s work in

Catubig Watershed may have the biggest environmental and socioeconomic growth impact among Samar natives.

While known to have a rich biodiversity profile with mixed dipterocarp forests, Samar Island is also known as the most cycloneprone region in the country.

The National Economic and Development Authority reported in 2015 that Northern Samar, where the Catubig Watershed is located, had a poverty incidence of 61.6 percent. This makes it one of the country’s poorest provinces.

The SGP-7 costs $13.78 million of which $4.436 million comes from a GEF grant. The Philippine government co-finances $9.214 million.

“It is urgent that we strengthen the resilience of our communityn based organizations. They are the frontliners in conservation and livelihood interventions. In this period of climate change and biodiversity degradation, a more integrated effort of interventions is essential,” DENR Secretary Jim

Sampulna said.

Greg Sarmiento, executive director of the Eastern Visayas Partnership for Rural Development, said the launch of SGP-7 is timely due to recent climate hazards experienced in the province.

Public Square

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2022-05-13T07:00:00.0000000Z

2022-05-13T07:00:00.0000000Z

https://digitaledition.manilatimes.net/article/282080575430731

The Manila Times