| ESSC a collaborating partner of MindaNOW! |
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| Tuesday, 29 November 2011 | |
 The Mindanao Development Authority (MinDA) will soon be launching its program MindaNOW! or Mindanao Nurturing Our Waters and ESSC is one of the two non-government groups in this partnership.
MindaNOW! is an integrated development initiative that aims to institutionalize the sustainable development and management of Mindanao's natural resources. The program puts emphasis on the ecological value and capitalizes water as the most critical resource for human survival. The thrust is to optimize the full potentials of the region's natural resources without compromising its carrying capacity.
As MinDA's flagship program, it is designed to integrate, harmonize, and rationalize plans, programs, policies, and processes for the protection and rehabilitation of the 13 riverbasins and 262 watersheds found in Mindanao. According to Cecilia Trino, a technical staff member of MinDA, "This program seeks to strike a balance between economy and environment in Mindanao by pursuing programs and projects through an ecosystems integration approach." She also stressed that the program would look into the condition of Mindanao's forests, river basins, and watersheds as Mindanao's major production areas that are also now prone to flooding problems and related environmental threats. ESSC previously contributed to the development of the environment chapter of the MinDA's 2020 peace and development framework plan. For the full story, please see their website. |