Saturday, March 17, 2012

Iloilo River included in Asian rivers clean up campaign

By Lilibeth A. French
Saturday 17th of March 2012

ILOILO CITY, March 17 (PIA6) -- An international environmental organization has chosen the Iloilo River to be part of its Asian rivers clean-up campaign.

On March 17 to 25, the Rivers of the World (ROW) Foundation will conduct a clean-up of the Iloilo River and 11 other rivers in China, India, and Nepal.

The Iloilo River clean up activity will be held on March 22 to 24, said the Iloilo City Public Information Office in a press report.

The clean-up campaign spearheaded by the ROW Foundation is part of the World Water Day 2012 Program. Other river systems included in the clean-up are the Yangtze Kiang River in Wuhan City, China; Yamuna River in Agra, India; Yamuna River in Gokul, India; Yamuna River upstream near Dehradun, India; Ganges River in Rishikesh, India; Hooghly River in Kolkata, India; Daya River near Bhuvaneswar, India; Barak River, Silchar (Assam), India; and River/Lake Restoration Awareness in Vizianagaram, South India; and Bagmati River in Kathmandu area, Nepal.

Iloilo River maintains a high level of productive biological activities as it serves as nursery for many important fish species such as bangus and tilapia while the rise and fall of the tide makes it possible for nutrients such as planktons and detritus to circulate in and out of the estuary which is home to 22 of the country’s 35 mangrove species, according to studies.

ILOILO RIVER - LivCom Awardee
“(The Iloilo River) has given our ancestors life, it is giving us life, it will give life to our children, and our children’s children. We are blessed to have the abundance of the river. All we have to do is to rehabilitate, preserve and protect it,” said Mayor Jed Patrick Mabilog said in the PIO report. 
He added that the inclusion of Iloilo River in the ROW Foundation campaign is a recognition of the river’s importance to the lives of the people.

The cleanup/awareness activities will also set the stage for the 1st International River Summit initiated by the Iloilo City government in partnership also with ROW Foundation on May 30 – June 1.

The three-day global forum on challenges, issues and best practices in river management is also supported by the Department of Environment and Natural Resources, Japan International Cooperation Agency and Petron.

Iloilo City is a recipient of an International Livable Communities (LivCom) Award for its river rehabilitation efforts. (JSC/LAF-PIA6)

REFERENCE:
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 http://www.pia.gov.ph/news/index.php?article=931331959747

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