DIRECTORY 2011 Edited 4-11.indd - Negros Occidental

atural al Resources eManagementagenatural Resources Management• Sustain Programs for Conservation, Rehabilitation and Protection of the Environment• Strengthen Linkage with Public/Private Sectors for Protection of Coasts/Forests/MajorRivers• Support Coastal Resource Management to Enhance Production of Marine Resources• Promote Judicious Use of Abundant Water Resources (esp. for irrigation &hydro-electric projects)• Strengthen Climate Change Response and Solid Waste Management Advocacies• Strict Adherence to Zoning LawsNegros Occidental is a showcase of a sound environment management, with twoprotected forest areas (Mt. Kanlaon and Northern Negros Natural Parks) and two marinereservations (Sagay Marine Reserve and Danjugan Island Marine Sanctuary) that are home tovarious species of ora, fauna and marine life.We will sustain existing programs, both of government and private sector partners, forconservation, rehabilitation and protection of the environment, especially our coastal areas,forest reserves, and major rivers and water bodies. We will support private sector initiatives inenvironmental advocacy and networking to create environmental awareness and education onissues and concerns affecting the environment.The ongoing program on Coastal Resource Management to enhance production of marineresources will be supported and the judicious use of our major rivers for hydro-electric powerprojects will be promoted.Alternative livelihood will be made available to people who depend on the forests for theirsustenance. We will advocate for use of appropriate technologies, either traditional orsustainable methods, to ensure the continued supply of resources, without endangering thedelicate natural balance of the ecosystem.We will adhere to the ecologically sustainable development principles that advocate thefollowing rule of thumb in valuing natural resources: renewable resource – capable of being“harvested or farmed” at a sustainable rate; non-renewable resource – should only be used orextracted if a substitute is found; absolute resource – should not be used at all because there isno human-made substitute; they are either vital to life on earth, have “existence” value, or theyare essential to maintaining biodiversity.Strict adherence to zoning laws should be advocated to the LGUs since land classicationand distribution is among factors identied to have led to forest loss, aside from increasingpopulation and the slow growth of job opportunities, among others.