Watershed Management Interventions

WATERSHED MANAGEMENT INTERVENTIONS

by Antonio C. Antonio

March 17, 2015

“Watershed management is the study of the relevant characteristics of a watershed aimed at the sustainable distribution of its resources and the process of creating and implementing plans, programs and projects to sustain and enhance watershed functions that affect the plant, animal and human communities within the watershed boundary.  The features of a watershed that can be the subject to management include water supply, water quality, drainage, stormwater runoff and water rights.”  (Antonio, 2015)

Technical watershed management interventions are those field level activities that aim to (FMB/DENR, 1998):

1. Change the type of land use enterprise(s) being undertaken – the objective of the intervention is to replace those land uses that are unsuitable (non- suitable), according to the bio-physical and socio-economic circumstances of the watershed, with ones that are suitable (therefore, replacing annual crops on steep hillsides with perennial tree crops); or,
2. Change one or more of the component management practices associated with a particular land use enterprise – the objective of the intervention is to correct inappropriate land management practices so that with appropriate management, the land use enterprise becomes sustainable (therefore, from clear felling to selective logging, or from ploughing up and down the slope to cultivating on the contour).

Sound management entails an effective oversight function.  Periodic and timely assessment of watershed management plans should be made to ascertain if there is a need for technical watershed management interventions.

Just my little thoughts…

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REFERENCES:

Antonio, A. C., (2015).  Watershed Management.  Retrieved on the 17^th day of March 2015 from

 http://antonantonio.blogspot.com/2015/03/watershed-management.html

DOST-DENR-DA-UPLB-CFND. (1999). Guidelines for Watershed Management and

 Development in the Philippines. Los Banos, Laguna.

FMB, DENR. (1998).  The Philippine Strategy for Improved Watershed Resources

 Management. Quezon City, Philippines