A Term Paper Presented to Engr. Aries H. Hermoso Instructor College of Engineering Camarines Sur Polytechnic Colleges
In Partial Fulfilment of the Requirements in Hydrology
TABAL, KEESH MARLON R. BSCE-4A
March 2014
Republic of the Philippines CAMARINES SUR POLYTECHNIC COLLEGES Nabua, Camarines Sur COLLEGE OF ENGINEERING
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ISO 9001: 2008 I. Introduction The Philippines is an archipelago whose islands are located on the western margin of the Pacific Ocean Ring of Fire and is undergoing mountain building through volcanic activities. The mountainous terrain includes mountain ranges and active volcanoes. Its geographic location being just north of the equator gives the country a moderate tropical climate suitable for crop production. However, the country is continuously threatened by natural and man- made hazards that resulted in loss of human lives and properties. Basically, people live in a naturally formed hydrological unit called watershed. Of the total Philippine land area, about 70% is considered a major watershed which is found within 419 river basins all over the Philippine archipelago. However, its watersheds are naturally prone to environmental disasters due to several active faults, steep topography, poor vegetation cover and socio-economic pressures that contributed to the environmental disasters. Recent events such as the landslides in Ginsaugon, Leyte and Real, Quezon have highlighted the importance of identifying the vulnerability levels of our watersheds. If only development plans have identified vulnerability areas and included measures to reduce hazards, human sufferings and economic losses would have been avoided or reduced. Watershed is one of the basic life-supporting ecosystems that is threatened by the above mentioned environmental disasters (natural and man- Republic of the Philippines CAMARINES SUR POLYTECHNIC COLLEGES Nabua, Camarines Sur COLLEGE OF ENGINEERING
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ISO 9001: 2008 made) because of its biogeophysical attributes and its socio-economic significance. Thus, in order to minimize its further destruction and degradation, assessing the vulnerability of a watershed to soil erosion, landslides, flooding, forest/grass fire and biodiversity loss is of utmost importance. The assessment can provide information in coming up with an integrated watershed management plan. The Buayan River Basin Watershed (BRBW) lies within the geographical coordinates between 06 05 26.3 to 06 32 34.4 longitudes and 125 04 21.1 to 125 34 06.6 latitudes. It is located within the northern portion of Sarangani Province towards its boundary in South Cotabato, part of Davao del Sur in the eastern and southwestern in General Santos City.Watershed conditions are in an alarming state with, 56,031 hectares or 40% of the entire watershed considered highly erodible. Forest lands have receded into grassland conditions, covering 77,000 hectares or 54% of the total area. 10,000 hectares or 7% closed canopy forest mixed with forest plantation are sparsely scattered in the watershed vital in the soil, water and biodiversity conservation. An estimated 680 million gallons/day of water is discharged to Sarangani Bay Protected Seascape (SBPS) during peak flow which cause flash flooding downstream with an average of 2,694 tons of sediments per day (SMICZMP).
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ISO 9001: 2008 Location Map
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ISO 9001: 2008 II. Current State of Watershed The Mt. Matutum upper catchments serve as river tributaries that provide water to 13,000 hectares Agro-industrial farm of DOLE Philippines and Primetown. It also supports the water requirements for recreational uses and prawn farms and the domestic water supply for residential and commercial establishments. The catchments also hosts a total of 23,000 hectares Alienable and Disposable (A&D) lands potential for sustainable agriculture development. At least 1,500 hectares part of Mt. Matutum Protected Landscape (MMPL) carries the potential for ecotourism. It also hosts the 84,000 hectares CADC of the Blaan and Tagakaolo tribes and habitat of Tarsier (Tarsius syrichta). The Biangan Gabion Revetment and spur dike structures and Upper Buayan check dam provide water regulation functions. Upland productivity measures were also instituted with 750 hectares agroforesty and reforestation project established under the Southern Mindanao Integrated Coastal Zone Management Project (SMICZMP). .
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ISO 9001: 2008 III. Underlying Issues The conflicting policy mandates created by Forestry and ancestral land uses has been linked with increasingly inappropriate land uses inside the watershed. Land allocations regimes are have been challenged by the persistent claim of IPs against the Industrial Forest Management Agreement (IFMA) of M&S Company. Conflicting legal interpretation and land use policies has encouraged land squatting between tenured migrants and IPs, including the encroachment of DOLE Phil. Deforestation is a recurring scene, with the cutting trees for fuelwood and cultivation for subsistence farming. This has also resulted to serious disturbance to the MMPL Malungon side faunal habitat.
IV. Governing Policies and Regulations The 1,965 shectare watershed is covered by Presidential Proclamation No. 552 dated March 20, 1995 which proclaimed the Mt. Matutum as protected landscape. Classified as timberland, cover 35,987 hectares while 78,586 hectares remain as unclassified public forest. Out of the total area, 22,996 hectares is classified as A&D lands. The IPRA law applies to certain areas with 84,128 hectares proclaimed as CADC areas under CADC No. 060 for Blaan and CADC No. 059 for Tagakaolo /Kalagan tribe. Other tenure allocation include, 500 hectares under Forestland Grazing Management Agreement (FLGMA) No. 543 Republic of the Philippines CAMARINES SUR POLYTECHNIC COLLEGES Nabua, Camarines Sur COLLEGE OF ENGINEERING
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ISO 9001: 2008 of Tomas Alcantara and 729.57 hectares under CBFMA awarded to Blaan Farmers Cooperative and Kibala Farmers Cooperative
4.1 Local Watershed Network Initiative The watershed network succeeded in laying the groundwork for the Memorandum of Agreement (MOA) between the DENR-SMICZMP and the Provincial LGUs of South Cotabato and Sarangani Province in integrating the management of Mt. Matutum Watershed and Sarangani Bay to ensure the sustainable development of the two ecosystems. It also framed the MOU with DENR-SMICZMP and LGU Alabel in the protection, conservation and management of the coastal and marine resources of Sarangani. (Resolution No. 200-124). The network is instrumental in failing the preparation of Cluster Watershed Management Plans and the Buayan River Watershed plan by Southern Mindanao Integrated Coastal Zone Management Project (SMICZMP). A key input in the planning initiative is the characterization of the Buayan River Watershed which provided an understanding of the geophysical, biophysical constraints and potential characteristics of the basin). The network also helped facilitate the formulation of the Comprehensive Solid Waste Management of Alabel (E.O No. 1998-12). Through the capacity building support of the newrwork, LGU Alabel SB Resolution No. 2006-076 adopting the Integrated Watershed Management Plan of Buayan River Watershed. LGU Malungon Ordinance No. 36, Series of 1974 Republic of the Philippines CAMARINES SUR POLYTECHNIC COLLEGES Nabua, Camarines Sur COLLEGE OF ENGINEERING
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ISO 9001: 2008 regulating and control of industrial and other waste in the body of water. It also brokered the agreement between Municipal/Provincial LGUs with the Upland Development Program (UDP) and provided the staging ground for the IEC on the Septage Treatment Facility (STF), Green and Blue component projects of SMICZMP
4.2 Persistent Challenges and Opportunities The most pressing challenge that the network has to address is the active resolution of prevailing land conflicts/claims. It has to continue providing institutional oversight in helping clarify legal and technical issues. To strengthen its stakeholder constituency the network is poised to push for the institutionalization of management structures of BRBW. It aims to create the needed organizational clout through a cascading network vertically integrated of Provincial and Municipal Water Resource Management Councils that will oversee on the ground activities of the proposed Multi-Sectoral Monitoring and Evaluation Task Force.
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ISO 9001: 2008 V. Impact of Watershed A watershed can be defined as an area of land that drains down slope until it reaches a common point. "Watershed" is synonymous with other terms you may have heard such as "drainage basin" and "catchment area." Perhaps a simpler way of defining a watershed is by saying that it is an area of land where all of the water that falls in it ends up in the same place. All precipitation that falls within a watershed, but is not used by existing vegetation, will ultimately seek the lowest points. These low points are bodies of water such as rivers, lakes, and finally the ocean. This means that every stream, brook, tributary, and river that we see will eventually reach a larger body of water within its associated watershed. Even groundwater that we cannot see moves towards a common low point. One way to picture it is as a giant funnel that catches and directs all of the water that falls into it towards the bottom. On a topographical map, a watershed can be determined by connecting all of the points of highest elevation around a lake. Everyone lives in a watershed. No matter where we live we will always be part of a watershed. Major watersheds span across county, state and national boundaries. It doesn't matter if the lake is in your front yard or miles away. Pollution anywhere within the watershed has the potential to affect all waterbodies located downstream from it. Republic of the Philippines CAMARINES SUR POLYTECHNIC COLLEGES Nabua, Camarines Sur COLLEGE OF ENGINEERING
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ISO 9001: 2008 Watersheds are extremely important. Watersheds provide many of us with our drinking water supply, plus recreational opportunities and aesthetic beauty. Unfortunately, the replacement of vegetation by impervious surfaces like roads, parking lots and rooftops has a negative impact on watersheds. This increases the velocity and amount of runoff flowing into surface waters and causes erosion, turbidity and degraded wildlife habitats. Not only that, but this runoff carries pollutants such as oil, bacteria, nutrients, sediment and metals into surface waters along with it. Forested areas play a very important role in the health of a watershed. The plant cover and leaf litter absorb moisture and help maintain soil structure, while root masses keep soil permeable and stable so moisture can move into it for storage. This is more desirable, because it allows water to be filtered and released slowly into the stream system rather than rapidly running overland.
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