(The four projects in Theme #2 are described below)

1.  Assessment of the Heavy Metal Pollution in Abatan River & Maribojoc Bay in Bohol, Philippines

      Project Leader: Ms. Emilia M. Roslinda

Preliminary studies on the water quality of Abatan River and Maribojoc Bay revealed high level of heavy metal pollution. Heavy metals, such as cadmium and lead, have been detected in water, sediment and biomass of the river and the bay areas. Because of this alarming result, an in-depth study was conducted by PROCESS-Bohol, Inc., in collaboration with stakeholders, to assess the extent of the heavy metal pollution and its effects on marine species as well as human beings consuming the marine resources from Abatan River and Maribojoc Bay.

Work reported earlier by this group led to a heightened public awareness of water quality and health issues in the Abatan River watershed stemming from industrial activities.  A series of consultations with management of a galvanized sheet metal manufacturer in the Abatan River watershed led to the installation of new storage facilities for sludge and other solid waste that had previously been dumped on the river bank leading to dangerously high levels of lead and cadmium in river water, sediments and marine life.  Sludge piles were removed and isolated in concrete storage units for long-term storage. 

2. Multisectoral Watershed Plannnig in Lake Danao Natural Park through Participaotry Action

      Project Leader: Dr. Pastor P. Garcia

The primary objective of the project “Multi-sectoral Watershed Planning in Lake Danao Natural Park Through Participatory Aprroaches” was to strengthen/capacitate the Protected Area Management Board (PAMB) and other stakeholders of Lake Danao Natural Park through Participatory Action Research (PAR) so that they can effectively manage its natural resources. Specifically, it aimed to identify information needed and involve different partners in gathering relevant data (biophysical, social, etc) that can be used as input for long term planning; build the capacity of different stakeholders on planning and sustainable watershed management through conduct of trainings, cross-site visits, etc.  and develop a long-term multi-sectoral plan for sustainable natural resource utilization and management of the park.

3. Enhancement of Community-Based NRM in Cienda Watershed

      Project Leader: Dr. Victor B. Asio

4. Setting Local Agendas: Explorations in Peoples' Organization

      Project Leader: Dr. Edwin Balbarino and Mr. Rudy Trangia

The project “Setting Local Agenda: Exploration in Peoples Participation” was implemented in three sites in the Visayas, one in Cebu and two in Leyte.  The main objective of the project was to describe how local people in small communities identify and prioritize community problems and how they work together to solve the problem. The sites were characterized using participatory methodologies. The community people identified their needs and prioritized the problems according to importance and urgency for solution.  In both sites in Leyte, the project identified by the people was the construction of drinking water reservoir. The project was decided upon by all the sectors in the community.  In Cebu, the project was a training of  high school students on natural resource management. In all the study sites, the processes involved in planning and implementing the projects were documented and analyzed.  [more...]