LA TRINIDAD, BENGUET – Local irrigation and environment officials said increased awareness on the Cordillera watersheds’ crucial role might end up as lip service if no legislative measure matched the bid to save the resources.

In separate interviews, Abraham Akilit, National Irrigation Administration regional manager, and Samuel Peñafiel, Department of Environment and Natural Resources regional director, said political will was needed to push new environment concepts, like payment for environmental services (PES) and the environment and natural resources accounting (Enra).

The PES is a scheme devised to impose levy on users of water from upland communities while Enra, called “green accounting,” is a system that would measure the cost of using environmental resources as inputs to production.

Akilit said without legislation, it would be difficult to convince lowland communities to share in the cost of maintaining the Cordillera’s watersheds.

The issue of watershed protection transcends political boundaries and towns and provinces that benefit from upland water might reject the idea of imposing additional levy on their local resources, he said.

Peñafiel said there are local governments who welcome PES and Enra. He said officials in these areas recognize the need to protect watersheds to cushion the negative impact on the lowland’s economy should water basins upstream dry up or become polluted.

“There are local governments which reacted both positively and negatively to proposals to tax them for using upland water. We need more consultations for all stakeholders,” he said.

Peñafiel said: “Those local governments which saw the logic of watershed protection are willing to negotiate an amount based on the resulting environmental benefit.”

But he said political commitments may vary and legislation could provide the mandate.

In October, the DENR, NIA, Department of Agrarian Reform and National Economic Development Authority held a watershed summit in Baguio City where stakeholders discussed the status of the region’s watersheds.

Soil erosion, timber poaching, improper waste management and commercial vegetable farming were identified as the causes of the deterioration of forests and watersheds.

The Cordillera has 13 major watersheds covering 1.8 million hectares.

Within these watersheds are seven proclaimed crucial protected areas – Mt. Pulag National Park (11,500 hectares), Cassamata Hill National Park (57 hectares), Balbalasang-Balbalan National Park (20,864 hectares), Mt. Data National Park (5,512 hectares), Marcos Highway Watershed Forest Reserve, Lower Agno Watershed Forest Reserve (34,304 hectares) and the Upper Agno River Basin Resource Reserve (77,698 hectares).

“Definitely, these water resources give life to the lowland’s economies,” Akilit said.