Integrated Ecosystems Management: National Program Support for Environment Collecting individual efforts together to overcome challenges and Natural Resources Management Project and achieve joint benefits in ENR management (NPS-ENRMP) An IEM Story: Libmanan-Pulantuna Watershed: Replicating Integrated Ecosystem Management for Socioeconomic Development Introduction The Libmanan-Pulantuna Watershed emerged as a good example of replication Management Project (LPWMP) is one of the and scaling up of IEM from the Libmanan- four pilot sites for Integrated Ecosystems Pulantuna Watershed to the adjacent Albay Management (IEM) under the National Tres Quinale “A” Watershed, then the rest Program Support for Environment and of the Bicol River Basin. It stands out as the Natural Resources Management Project (NPS only one among the four pilot sites to have ENRMP), funded by a grant from the World reached such basin-wide level of replication. Bank-Global Environment Facility (WB-GEF). As a watershed ecosystem, LPW plays a After five years of project implementation significant role in hosting the biodiversity from 2008 to 2012, the pilot site has An IEM Story: The Story of Libmanan-Pulantuna Watershed, Bicol River Basin NPS-ENRMP of the remaining forested zone of the Bicol of Camarines Sur. The area is close to two Region, cushioning the adverse effects of major educational, commercial, and trading disasters due to typhoons, supporting local centers: Daet on the north and Naga City on agricultural production through provision the south. of irrigation water, and ensuring the conservation and sustainability of fisheries The watershed has rich biodiversity and resources of San Miguel Bay. abundant water resources that support current and future development activities in the lowlands. It hosts the biggest remaining Importance of the Libmanan- forest in the whole Bicol Region—a lowland Pulantuna Watershed forest situated at elevation of below 500 meters above sea level. It is home to lowland With a total area of 74,345 hectares, the dipterocarp forests of Bicol Natural Park; the Libmanan-Pulantuna Watershed (LPW) is one residual and old growth forest of Mt. Pulantuna; of the eight major watersheds of the Bicol the secondary forest of Mt. Tancong Vaca; the River Basin (BRB). BRB is considered the flora and faunal resources of Libmanan Caves eighth largest river basin in the country. Natural Park; and the mangrove forest of the There are different stakeholders that benefit Cabusao Coastal Zone. These assets contain from the improved management of the potentials for ecotourism activities such as LPW through IEM. These include fuelwood mountain hiking, river cruising, swimming, gatherers, upland and lowland farmers, birdwatching, fishing, and many others. fisherfolks in San Miguel Bay and other inland Water-based resorts have been established in water bodies, and users of domestic waters Libmanan and Sipocot, which can be put up that are sourced from the LPW and coursed as well in other areas if given the impetus by through the water districts. Beneficiaries also the local government units (LGUs) and other include tourists visiting points of interest sectors concerned. within the LPW as well as researchers The river system provides irrigation water to doing biodiversity and related scientific the estimated 4,000 hectares of rice lands of investigations on the remaining lowland Libmanan and Cabusao, which is considered dipterocarp forest in Region 5. Then of as the rice granary of Camarines Sur. course, standing to benefit also are the seven Moreover, its upland areas, inland rivers, other subwatersheds of the Bicol River Basin and coastal areas provide fiber, protein, and where the best IEM practices generated from income for the estimated 30,222 households the LPW are now beginning to be replicated. or a population of 167,087. About 20,367.76 LPW covers portions of the municipalities of hectares of coconut land provide a major San Lorenzo Ruiz and Basud of Camarines source of income for many farmers. The area Norte Province and Del Gallego, Ragay, Lupi, is likewise a source of fuelwood and charcoal Sipocot, Libmanan, and Cabusao of Camarines from trees which naturally regenerate in Sur Province. The watershed covers a total of coconut lands. Livestock production is a 143 barangays and has a total estimated area dominant livelihood in the municipalities of of 74,345.75 hectares. It is within the first Sipocot and Libmanan. congressional district of Camarines Norte and As an important part of the Bicol River Basin, the first and second congressional districts the LPW contributes to the productivity and 2 An IEM Story: The Story of Libmanan-Pulantuna Watershed, Bicol River Basin November 2013 sustainability of San Miguel Bay, a major having wet months with no pronounced dry fishing ground in the Bicol Region. The bay season. While it is favored with abundant is a common property resource that serves water supply year-round, it also experiences as municipal fishing ground for the towns an average of 19-21 typhoons every year, of Mercedes in Camarines Sur, Sipocot, causing damage to life and property. Cabusao, Calabanga, Siruma, and Tinambac in Camarines Norte. The bay hosts 88 species Continuing Depletion of the Remaining of fishes including crustaceans and shell Natural Forest. While there are some lowland fishes. The map below shows river networks dipterocarp natural forests remaining in the of the Bicol River Basin that drain to San LPW, these left over forests are subject to Miguel Bay. increasing threats. Kaingin or subsistence shifting agriculture in these areas eliminates biodiversity due to clearing and burning of Problems and Threats: Critical forest vegetation. Charcoal making has also Watershed become prevalent, contributing as well to forest depletion. An apparent aggravating The locality has climate type II and IV under factor is the open access condition of these the Corona Classification System generally forestlands. 3 An IEM Story: The Story of Libmanan-Pulantuna Watershed, Bicol River Basin NPS-ENRMP Weak Land Tenure System in in the migrate there despite concerted efforts to stop multiple use zone of the Bicol Natural them. Some migrants are armed with guns and Park. This situation serves as disincentive bolos who have repeatedly challenged DENR among the current occupants who think that operatives during patrol work. The barangay they could be driven out of their occupied councils and people’s organizations (POs) in land any time. As such, they tend to employ the area lack the capacity to check violations unsustainable production practices like of environmental laws without help from law burning of vegetation and open cultivation, enforcement agencies. resulting in environmental deterioration in the long term. The situation also makes the Waste Management. Solid and sewerage area prone to the entry of more illegal settlers. wastes generated by households, industries, markets, and farms are affecting the water Wrong Location of Some Settlements. quality of nearby rivers. Because many Some built-up areas are located in forests, households do not have sanitary toilets, near forests, or in headwaters of vital sewerage get drained into canals and end up subwatersheds. The location of some in rivers. Solid wastes thrown indiscriminately settlements in the Bicol Natural Park is a case are carried to the rivers during flood events. in point which affects the water source of Barangays Alanao, Napolidan, and Sooc. The Conflicting Land Uses and Objectives threat has mounted through the years due to Between Geothermal Energy Generation increasing number of settlers who aggressively Versus Biodiversity Conservation. The 4 An IEM Story: The Story of Libmanan-Pulantuna Watershed, Bicol River Basin November 2013 geothermal reservation proclaimed by then transport of goods and services between the Pres. Ferdinand E. Marcos is located in the two Camarines provinces but has also served municipality of Del Gallego, in the upper as entry point of illegal settlers and timber watershed of LPW. Test wells have already poachers. In the Bicol Natural Park, it was been drilled in the area during the 1990s. Its during the time that it was traversed by the steep slopes are highly sensitive to massive highway and the National Power Corporation erosion due to surface soil scraping as power lines that kaingin farming in the area observed during the years when roads and began. The park is now crisscrossed by a geothermal facilities were under construction. network of roads and is highly accessible Because the area contain the headwaters of from all directions. Settlements within and the Pulantuna River, massive river siltation near the park are becoming highly populated and biodiversity loss are expected should through inter-marriages and migration from construction of geothermal facilities be other towns and provinces. revived. This conflict in resource use dampens current efforts at conserving the area for its Unresolved issue on the environmental inherent ecotourism values. The harm to the impact of the proposed dam in Manangle, biodiversity and water is incalculable because Sipocot. Started during the administration of the unpredictable collateral damage of President Gloria Macapagal- Arroyo, the resulting from earth movement; removal of completion of the dam remains uncertain. surface vegetation; and generation of toxic And so are the environmental impacts to the sludge, atmospheric pollutants, and noise. nearby communities of Lupi and Sipocot. The construction of the dam was temporarily Road Network Traversing Bicol Natural stopped due to intense opposition from Park. The past government practice of different sectors. The dam is projected to building roads near old growth forests has irrigate an estimated 2,000 hectares of ricelands negatively led to the extraction and destruction in Cabusao and Libmanan. The technical of biodiversity resources. This road has a intricacies attendant to the dam construction double-edged effect on the remaining natural must address foremost the vulnerability to forests because it has improved access and flooding of communities and agricultural lands during peaks of rainfall in the context of climate change.