Getting the best out of government planning and community watershed management

Local government support for barangay (village) plans is a new initiative and an effective starting point in the management of the local sub-watershed. The participative approach focusing on watershed management integrates many of the community concerns and responses. Securing the ecological services of the larger area is also envisaged by providing various services to the different stakeholders and is the goal of the intervention. In achieving this goal a fourfold strategy is employed: (1) bring the process to the lowest level of governance, (2) build on local government initiatives, (3) feed back the process and outputs to the structures of existing initiatives, and (4) integrate community land use plans and strategies with the local government initiatives. Initial activities are already providing valuable changes.