Watershed body bats for revival of SFR
The Iloilo Watershed Management Council (IWMC) in one of its deliberations on water scarcity noted that in farming areas where there are SFRs, rice production was not hampered even during prolonged dry season.
It had been observed that Small Farm Reservoirs (SFRs) provided a steady supply of water for farmers during dry spells.
IWMC Interim chairperson Jessica Salas said a major project of the council is to advocate for the revival and rehabilitation of SFRs in farm areas in Iloilo, citing the case of Bingawan where SFRs used to be all over the municipality.
In that discussion with the members of KAPAWa, an NGO advocating for the rehabilitation of the Maasin Watershed, the council found out that there was an increasing vulnerability of farm areas to drought and soil erosion brought about by climate change.
The council further found out that there was a need for the planting of more fruit trees and forest tree species as well as vegetables for the watersheds to hold water.
Meanwhile, Agriculture Secretary Arthur Yap said the Department of Agriculture is undertaking a massive greening project that aims to rehabilitate small water impounding dams in farm areas across the country.
This is part of the agency's project called the Soil and Water Army for Resources Management (SWARM), to help counter the adverse effects of seasonal dryness and dry spells on agriculture production.
(PIA 6/ESS)