WATERSHED MANAGEMENT : CONCEPTS,

PRINCIPLES AND PROGRAMS

DENR-7

Worlds Estimated
Water Supply
LOCATION

VOLUME
(cubic miles)

SURFACE WATER

PERCENTAGE OF
TOTAL WATER

55,300

0.0171%

Fresh Water Lakes/Saline Lakes

30,000

0.009 %

Inland Seas

25,000

0.008 %

Average in Stream Channels

300

0.0001 %

SUB-SURFACE WATER

2,016,000

0.625 %

16,000

0.005 %

Vadose Water (includes Soil water)

Ground Water (w/in 0.5 miles depth)

1,000,000

0.31

Ground Water (deep lying)

1,000,000

0.31

OTHER WATER LOCATIONS

Ice caps and Glaciers
Atmosphere (at sea level)
World Ocean

* A cubic mile of water is equal to 1.1 trillion gallons

324,003,100
7,000,000
3,100
317,000,000

99.351 %
2.15

0.001 %
97.2

Philippines

The Philippines Estimated

Water Supply

Annual Rainfall
Total Area
Watershed Areas
Water Supply
(dependable)
Surface run-off
Mean supply
Dependable supply
Ground Water
Safe supply

=
=
=
=

2,400 mm
30 Million Hectares
21 Million Hectares
975 MCM/day

=
=

1,314 MCM/day
833 MCM/day

142 MCM/day

Water Demand
=
310 MCM/day
Irrigation
= 86 % = 266.6 MCM/day (1.9 Mil. Ha)
Industry
= 8% =
24.8 MCM/day
18.6 MCM/day
Domestic Use
= 6% =
Projected increase in water demand = 8 % per year

Source :

Presidential Task Force on Water Resources Development and Management Official News Letter
(Water Watch), June 1997

WATERSHED
WATERSHED
DEFINITION
A
land
area
drained by a stream or
any fixed body of
water
and
its
tributaries having a
common outlet for
surface run-off (PD
705).

COMPONENTS
1. topographic divide
2. drainage area
3. fixed body of water
4. Common outlet for
surface run-off

What is a Watershed?
Topographically delineated area that collects
rainwater and drained by a river

What is a Watershed Reservation?

Is a forest land reservation established to protect or improve
the conditions of the water yield thereof to reduce
sedimentation

DEFINITION
WATERSHED
Top View

sapa o suba
Gidak-on (hektarya)
bungtod nga nakapalibot
Isa ang gawsanan sa tubig
ulan

WATERSHED
Cross Section
bungtod / boundary

sapa o suba

ulan

kalat sa salug sa
kalasangan
Canopy
pag-tuhop sa tubig
sa yuta
pag-tiglom sa tubig
sa ilawom yuta

dagayday sa ibabaw

Kasaligan and tubig

(hinlo ug hustong ang gidaghanon tibuok tuig)

E
L
B
TA
R
E
T
WA
dagayday sa ilawom

TUBOD o SPRING

The Water Cycle

ulan

TING-ULAN

dagayday sa ibabaw
sa yuta
walay tubig ang
water table
baha !!!

Epikto ng pagkasira ng Watershed

TING-INIT

Canopy

walay tubig ang

water table
Hubas !!!

Epikto ng pagkasira ng Watershed

A simple illustration of how forests help minimize (not prevent) floods and soil erosion

EPEKTO SA KAHIMTANG SA WATERSHED SA TUBIG UG YUTA

6.2 cm nga ulan sa 1 ka oras
MAAYONG KAHIMTANG

IGO-IGO NGA KAHIMTANG

DILI MAAYO NGA KAHIMTANG

60-75% naay mga tanum

ug mga sagbot

37% naay mga tanum

ug mga sagbot

10% naay mga tanum

ug mga sagbot

Dagayday sa ibabaw
= 2% sa ulan

Dagayday sa ibabaw
= 14% sa ulan

Dagayday sa ibabaw
= 75% sa ulan

Yuta nga mawala

= 0.07 tonilada kada hektarya

Yuta nga mawala

= 1.24 tonilada kada hektarya

Yuta nga mawala

= 21.13 ton. kada hektarya

SUBALPINE RANGE EPHRAIM WATERSHED UTAH

WATERSHED MANAGEMENT
Definition
guiding and
organizing land
and other
resource use in
a watershed

process

without adversely affecting

soil and water resources

Desired goods
and services

A Unique Resource
Every organism, individual, and
ecosystem on the planet depends on
water for survival.
Water impacts all aspects of life on the
planet
Poor water management and water
shortages can lead to disease,
malnutrition, reduced economic growth,
social instability, conflict, and
environmental disaster

Why All Must be Concerned with

Watershed Management?
Mismanagement of any part of a
watershed have negative onsite and
offsite impacts

Onsite Impacts
Loss of biodiversity
Reduced Infiltration
Soil Erosion
Loss of productivity
Poverty

Offsite Impacts
Siltation
Water Pollution
Unreliable Stream flow
Floods

WATERSHED MANAGEMENT
BASIC OBJECTIVES
1. Regulate streamflow in order to maintain
adequate quantity and quality of water supply
2. Uplift standard of living of communities
dependent on watershed resources
3. Preserve the biodiversity within the watershed
4. Watershed resources conservation

CURRENT STATE OF WATERSHED RESOURCES

LAND CLASSIFICATION = 30 Million hectares
National Parks
(1.34 M ha = 4.47%)

Civil Reservations
(0.17 M ha = 0.55%)
Certified Alienable and Disposable
(14.12 M ha = 47.06% )

Timberland (10.02 M ha = 33.39%)

Unclassified (0.88 M ha = 2.94%)

Mil. & Naval Reservations
(0.13 M ha = 0.43%)

Fishponds (0.075 M ha = 0.25%)

Forest Reserves (3.27 M ha = 10.91%)

CURRENT STATE OF WATERSHED RESOURCES

LANDUSE = 30 Million hectares
Pine Forest (0.23 M ha = 0.77%)
Submarginal
(0.475 M ha = 1.58%)
Mossy Forest
(1.04 M ha = 3.47%)

Residual Dipterocarp (2.73 M ha = 9.10%)

Old Growth Dipterocarp
(0.81 M ha = 2.67%)

Mangrove
(0.11 M ha = 0.40%)

Brushland
(2.23 M ha = 7.43 %)
Non-forest (22.38 M ha = 74.58%)

WATERSHED MANAGEMENT
GUIDING PRINCIPLES
Holistic and integrated approach and multiple use
management;
Multi-sectoral and interdisciplinary planning;
Sustainable management and development;
Ecological Sustainability
Social and Cultural Acceptability
Economic Sustainability
Institutional Sustainability
Participatory and equitable watershed management
and development; and
Efficient use of resources.

Strategies:
.

INTEGRATED
WATER
RESOURCES
Coastal
URBAN
MANAGEMENT
ecosystem
ecosystem
zoneMODEL INzone
THE
PHILIPPINES:

FOREST
ECOSYSTEM
ZONE

UPLAND
ECOSYSTEM
ZONE`

THE
TIGUMAGANAN
RIVER
Social mobilization
Land uses and land use management
BASIN
Integrated and interactive governance
Capaciybuildngand Institutional support
partnership

GUIDING PRINCIPLES

Bases
Forests
Grasslands
Lakes and Rivers
Agroecosystems
Mangroves

Guiding Principles

Bases
Upland
resources and
stakeholders
Lowland resources
and stakeholders
Coastal resources
and stakeholders

WATERSHED MANAGEMENT
STRATEGIES
Prevention

prevent watershed resource degradation from occurring by enabling those who

use the resources to adopt land use enterprises, field level technologies and
farm/forestry management practices that yield short term production benefits
while being conservation effective

Policy

establish a policy environment which can accommodate the diverse perspectives

and development priorities of different interest groups and at the same time
encourage the responsible use of resources for the long term benefit of the
community and the nation

Corrective

correct the current non-sustainable situation by removing the underlying causes,

adopting improved resource management practices, and taking appropriate
specific restorative intervention measures

EFFECTS OF SOIL EROSION IN

WATERSHEDS
1. Deterioration of farmlands
2. Silting-up of reservoirs, canals
and rivers
3. Destruction
of
buildings,
roads
and
other
communication lines
4. Increase of floods
5. Reduced water supply

HUMAN INTERFERENCE AS
THE MAIN CAUSE OF EROSION
1.
2.

Logging and fuelwood cutting

Kaingin making - direct causes of forest destruction and degradation based on FAO
study are:
Subsistence farming
Permanent agriculture
Fuelwood gathering
Livestock raising
Logging
Infrastructure

3.
4.

Forest fire and grassland burning

Improper range management:
a. Premature grazing
b. Overgrazing
c. Continuous grazing

5.
6.
7.

Road cuts
Improper disposal of mining waste
Improper drainage

63.4 %
15.8 %
7.9 %
6.3 %
5.6 %
1.0 %

PREVENTIVE MEASURE
AGAINST EROSION
1.
2.
3.

4.

5.
6.
7.

Education campaign
Fire prevention and control
Proper land use - Land Classification Law provides that:
- only land with gradient below 18 % can be released as Alienable and
Disposable (A&D)
- 18 % in slope and over shall be classified as Timberland/Forestland regardless
of the condition of the vegetative cover
- On suitable lands up to a maximum gradient of 50 %, Pasture Leases or
Permits can be granted
- Lands with gradient of over 50 % can only be utilized for forestry purposes
Proper range management
- Prescribed burning
- Pasture rotation
- Pasture improvement
Restriction on kaingin making
Restriction of logging in critical areas
Proper road construction and maintenance

EROSION CONTROL MEASURES

A. Reforestation
In general, practically all plants can be used as protective
cover. However, plants used for erosion control should meet
one or more of the following requirements:
1. They can grow on degraded and eroded sites;
2. Their roots and above-ground parts can grow rapidly in
order to provide the required protection as soon as possible;
3. They posses deep and wide root system for good anchorage
in the subsoil. A dense shallow root system can also be used
because of the "matting effect";
4. They can form dense and wide spreading of crowns or close
canopy as early as possible;
5. They can be established easily by cuttings, stumps, or bare
root seedling. For live structures, use only species which can
sprout easily from cuttings;
6. They can produce a large volume of litter to improve the site.
Legumes in particular can add considerable amount of
nitrogen to the soil through symbiosis with nitrogen-fixing
bacteria;
7. They can withstand the physical stress of falling stones and
avalanches; and
8. They can survive when temporarily submerged. This is
specifically important in stream bank stabilization.;

EROSION CONTROL MEASURES

B. Other Vegetative Measure
1. Contour hedgerows
2. Wattling
3. Fascines
4. Brush cover or matting
5. Bench brush layers

EROSION CONTROL MEASURES

C. Structural/engineering measure
1. Retaining Wall
2. Check dam
3. Cultural method
- Bench terracing.
- Contour canal
- Contour Hedgerow

EROSION CONTROL MEASURES

WATERSHED MANAGEMENT
Can-asujan Watershed

WATERSHED MANAGEMENT
Can-asujan Watershed

WATERSHED MANAGEMENT
MAJOR POLICIES AND PROGRAMS

Presidential Decree No. 705 (Revised

Forestry Code of the Philippines)
-

governs the management, utilization and conservation of

the countrys forest lands including watersheds

adopts the multiple-use and sustained yield concepts as

guiding principles in forest and watershed management

authorizes the President to set aside and proclaim

portions of the public domain as watershed reservations

To date, there are 125 proclaimed watershed

reservations covering an aggregate area of about
1.5 million hectares

WATERSHED MANAGEMENT
MAJOR POLICIES AND PROGRAMS

RA No. 7586 (NIPAS LAW)

-

calls for the establishment of protected areas to

promote biodiversity and genetic resources
conservation

proclaimed
watershed
reservations
are
considered initial components of the system

WATERSHED MANAGEMENT
MAJOR POLICIES AND PROGRAMS
DENR ADMINISTRATIVE ORDER NO 99-1
-

Adopted the watershed and ecosystems

approach as overarching strategic framework
for environment and natural resources planning
and management

the DENR Regional Offices have identified a

total of 154 priority watersheds with an
aggregate area of 12.43 Million hectares

143 Priority Watershed (By Region)

40

CONCLUSION
Watershed management remains to be a
complex and challenging task. The importance of
watershed resources in meeting the economic needs
and environmental requirements of the country
dictates the need for their effective and efficient
management. The task that lies ahead requires the
continuing commitment on the part of government
and the strong support of all stakeholders and other
concerned sectors of society.

Daghang Salamat