Essential Steps in the Natural Resource Management
The Bureau of Soils and Water Management (BSWM) -Japanese International Cooperation Agency (JICA) collaborative Project entitled “Environmental Productivity Management of Marginal Lands in the Philippines (EPMMA) has taught us so many lessons and knowledge during its implementation from Year 2000 -2005. In that EPMMA Project, I started as a member of the Soil Conservation Management Core Group but later became the Chairman of the Core Group as the late Dr. Jose D. Rondal assumed the Project Manager post. Con-current to my position as Chairman of the Soil Conservation Core Group, I am also a member of the Techno-demo site in Intavas, Impasug-ong, Bukidnon.
Looking back to the implementation of the EPMMA Project, it is worth sharing some of lessons/knowledge gained during its implementation especially on natural resource management. The points I shared here are probably not all applicable in all watershed settings, but in general, these are essential steps worth considering by anybody working in the area of resource management. Except for the first step, which I think should be done first and should continue in all stages of the project phases, all others can be done parallel with each other or in random order.
Resource management should be a collective effort of the community. Community should initiate the resource management in every part of the micro-watershed or even at the macro-watershed level. First step should be community empowerment. When I say empowerment, it means authorizing the community, making them able to manage their own resources and allowing them to do the appropriate management. It means educating the community or the stakeholders and making them aware that it is their duty to responsibly manage their natural resources. Stakeholders should realize they are stewards of the natural resources. When I say stewards, again I mean that communities are managers not owners.
Community should understand that natural resources entrusted to them are the food base for production. For it to continue producing it should be sustainably manage and unless the community are able, they cannot do the appropriate management. Community should bear in their mind that natural resources are part of the global support system and everything is connected to everything else. It means whatever they do, it will affect other system. Example of that is the “slash and burn” practice, it exposes the bare soil to the impact of raindrops thus resulting to rain-splash erosion. The sediments then will travel down to the slope until it reaches the aquatic ecosystem and affecting the aquatic organisms, especially the sedentary types. It is our right to use the natural resources but it is also our duty to protect and conserve it or making it sustainable.
Responsible natural resource management should consider promoting sustainable farming practices. We need to respect the indigenous knowledge. As managers, we need to know what they have and then try to build on them. We need to build a partnership among farmers, stakeholders and the whole of the community. We need to capitalize on the things that they already have and then try to improve. Introducing new technologies will need more considerations, like the niche, or the functional make up of every organism. When we start with what the community already has, very high possibility that the technology will work. It will also mean acceptance by the community because it is their own. From there, we could start modifying and improving and making it more sustainable.
We need to prioritize conservation of sensitive ecosystems. This is one priority that we need to do, identify the sensitive ecosystem and conserve by protecting them. In the identification, we can start by listing the ecosystem important in the livelihood of the community, then consider the biological diversity and uniqueness, finally consider the ecosystem contribution to the life-support chain and local culture. Ecosystem that will encompasses the above three criteria or consideration will be the priority ecosystems. Then we start conserving and protecting them. Conservation means less disturbance of the system or little disturbance of the system. If ever, we have to do something on the ecosystem, use sustainable practices. For example in sloping or hilly land, we can use minimum tillage or no-tillage at all. We can employ mulching, live ground cover or proper crop rotation ensuring that the fragile slope is always covered especially during the rainy season. For steep slope, more than 18%, if possible it should be allocated for forest trees and no-cultivation.
We need to enhance the regenerative capacity of the natural resources. Long fallow period is advisable, that is when population is still low, the “kaingin system” or ‘the slash and burn” is sustainable because farmers can afford a long fallow period. But now, long fallow is impossible, making the “kaining” system not a good alternative. There is not enough time to regenerate the natural ecosystem. There are many ways to enhance the regenerative capacity of the ecosystem, like the use of composting or recycling- making the micro-nutrients lost during intensive cropping available to the plants. Additions of organic matter either as green manure or livestock waste also promote regeneration of the system. Proper crop rotation (e.g. planting the shallow rooted crop followed by the deep rooted crop, or light feeder crops after the heavy feeder crops) helps the regenerative capacity of the soil ecosystem. First, it is important to identify the ecosystem, determine how fragile it is or how fast the system will succumb to intensive use. It is always good to look at the source or cause of ecosystem degeneration and start from there.
In the natural resource management, another key step for sound management is to promote gender equity participation. Women have always role to play. They can be involved in the “farm journal” preparation that is listing the input-output in the farming business. They can participate in the greenhouse activity like potting, sowing of seed, watering the plants and other. But most important, they can contribute in the decision making. For example, in the adoption of technologies, in forming a matrix ranking or pair-wise comparison, to identify priorities, they can share ideas. The role of women, in the natural resource management is one neglected step during the early years. In other countries, they already realized that women are good borrower; they always returned the capital borrowed thus sharing and enjoying more benefits in the process.
The participation of the minority should be tapped. This should always be a priority of all manager, we should understand that even the minority are part of the system. All part of the system should be involved. They should be a component in the decision making. Their voice should be heard, they have experiences to share. The indigenous knowledge can form part of the practices that can be put-in-place.
Finally, networking and linkages is very important. As the saying goes, “no man is island”. Either it’s a “top-down” or “bottom-up” approach, linkages and networking is a must. Sharing of information, the positive, the negative, everything. Linkages will be the key to respond immediately to the needs. Support agencies, NGO and Universities are key factor in resource management. Through linkages they can be tapped. Sound networking is sound resource management.
For more info: Call: Dr. Gavino Isagani P. Urriza At: (02) 923-04-59 Or email us a gurriza258@yahoo.com or visit us at: conservationist.wordpress.com
