DA launches USAID Bicol Agri-Water Project

From the Philippine News Agency (Dec 19): DA launches USAID Bicol Agri-Water Project

The Department of Agriculture (DA) regional office in Bicol and the United States Agency for International Development (USAID) have launched the Bicol Agri-Water Project recently to address the problem of flooding and drought of the three most vulnerable municipalities in the adjoining provinces of Albay and Camarines Sur. The Project, "Water Security Under Climate Risks: A Philippine Climate Change Adaptation Strategy for the Agriculture Sector" or "Bicol Agri-Water Project" will be implemented for within five years in the three flood and drought- prone municipalities of Nabua, Buhi in Camarines Sur and Polangui in Albay.

In a statement, Dr. Agnes C. Rola, project director and concurrently dean of the UPLB College of Public Affairs said the objectives of the project was to introduce climate risk management techniques, to improve water security and enhance climate resilience in agriculture at farm level, among others. The UPLB Foundation, Inc. represented by Dr. Rola, the Project Director, was the NGO grantee of the USAID which shall supervise the project implementation. DA regional director Jose V. Dayao also said the project was within the framework of and complements the two other foreign assisted projects on climate risk management and disaster preparedness and enhancing capacities for Disaster Risk Reduction currently being implemented in the region.

He explained that three adjacent municipalities were chosen because these areas are most prone to flooding . The waters from Lake Buhi and from Polangui would overflow and settle to Nabua which serves as the catch -basin. To lend support to the project are the following: Columbia University, Central Bicol State University, Bicol University, College of Agriculture and Forestry (BUCAF), PAGASA, Department of Environment and Natural Resources (DENR) NAPOCOR; the provincial government of Albay and Camarines Sur and the LGUs of Nabua, Buhi and Polangui.

http://www.pna.gov.ph/index.php?idn=2&sid=&nid=2&rid=481147