Mayor inspires, challenge IWRM training participants
Mayor Benjamin Magalong inspires the city’s leaders, participants, experts and advocates of the five-day training on the fundamentals of Integrated Water Resource Management (IWRM) with partners from the Philippine Disaster Resiliency Foundation (PDRF) under the Building Resilience through Inclusive Development and Gender Equality (BRIDGE) program, at a local venue, Monday, Dec. 1.
He urged the participants to maximize the opportunity, engage and question during the training, as the immense knowledge and insights learned shall shape programs and decisions for the communities’ one of the most essential resources which is water.
The challenge is real and immediate on how to secure safe, sustainable and resilient water systems for the people now and in the future, even as it is also most vulnerable during this time marked by climate change, rapid urbanization and increasing environmental pressures, the mayor said in his message delivered by Executive Assistant Engr. Leandro Tabilog.
Mayor Magalong underscored the importance of collaboration between the local government units, national agencies, communities, scientists, private partners and the people who rely on said resources daily.
There is strength and local opportunities in water governance and training is a vital step. It is an honor to host the training as the city navigates its own water challenges, the need for data-driven planning, sustainable sourcing, protection of watersheds and community engagement is much desirable, the mayor further said.
The IWRM with the PDRF is designed to equip local leaders with advanced competencies required for effective inclusive and resilient water resource management, a comprehensive professional development program with a four-core course, specialized technical elective and a culminating applied mentorship program.
With a holistic approach, the program is designed to build strong interdependent technology of water governance for Baguio.
The courses are Integrated Ecosystems Management Landscape and Water Resources Management, Nature-based Solutions (NbS), Forest Management, Biodiversity and Wildlife Management, Conservation and Sustainable Development, and Climate Smart Agriculture and Forestry.
The other topics are Watershed and Hydrology, Geo Spatial Information System (GIS), Analysis of Management Systems, tables, Integrated Conservation Development, Case Studies on Sustainable Landscape, Ancestral and Forest Land, Protected Area, Business Planning on Natural Resources Management, Project Development and Management for Water Security, Payment for Ecosystem Services, Science Communication and Behavioral Change Strategies, NbS – IWRM, Vision Maps and Learning Application Plan. The speakers are Ms. Anna Katrina Aspuria, Project Director; Mr. Wilbur Dee, IWRM Consultant; EnP. Alex Czar Masiglat, Project Manager; Mr. Mark Lester Rodrigo, Sr. GIS Officer; Mr. Aron Joshua Gregorio, Monitoring and Evaluation Officer; Ms. Alyssa Baniqued, Private Sector Engagement Officer; Ms. Sophia Dulay, Environment Officer; and Denise Kamyll Navarro, Gender Specialist; a pool of experts in their own field. – JGFianza
