by: Claro A. Lanipa
Pagadian City, Feb. 2 (PIA) – To give importance to wetlands and how vital it is to conserve them today, February 2 being observed as World Wetlands Day with this year’s theme “Wetlands and Tourism.”The Wetlands Day celebration will be a great opportunity for people to look around at their wetlands and its interconnections with the environment around them; how the wetlands benefit the surroundings and how activities throughout the river basin may affect the wetlands.
Wetland tourism has benefits both locally nationally for people and wildlife – benefits such as stronger economies, sustainable livelihoods, healthy people and thriving ecosystems. Data shows at least 35 percent of Ramsar Sites around the world record some level of tourism activity and this percentage is consistent throughout all regions.
In Region 9, the Department of Environment and Natural resources (DENR) has lined up series of activities for the said celebration. Protected Areas Wildlife & Coastal Zone Management Services officer in charge Mario Ronulo said to create wider awareness on the importance of wetlands, symposiums in selected schools are now being conducted in the city.
Ronulo said to highlight the celebration a tree planting activity is scheduled to be conducted tomorrow (February 3) around the lake in Lakewood, Zamboanga del Sur. It will be participated in by the municipal and barangay officials; faculty, staff and students of the Enerio School of Arts and Trades together with the DENR officials and employees.
Lakewood was selected for the tree planting activity, because it links with the theme “Wetlands and Tourism,” and slogan “Wetlands and Tourism, a great experienced, responsible tourism supports wetlands and people.” Ronulo explained.
Ronulo further said, that the celebration will not only last for a day but for the whole month of February. He said within the month, an information, education and communication (IEC) activities has been scheduled for the municipalities of Guipos and San Miguel to include schools within the area.
Moreover, in support to this celebration one banner program or pilot project of DENR-9 will be implemented within the same month called the “Ridge to Reef” project, Ronulo said. This project covers the tree planting from the tip of a mountain down to the lowest portion of the coastline. In Zamboanga Peninsula, Dinas River was choosen as the pilot site for this project, meaning the project will start from the tip of Mount Timolan which is part of the Tigbao municipality down to Malubog Bay which is the drainage of Dinas River. (PIA9/CAL)