RUPES Manupali - Collaborative Initiative to Develop a Mechanism for Rewarding the Upland Communities of the Manupali Watershed for the Environmental Services They Provide

Main Activities:

This study recognizes that the land use decisions of Lantapan farmers will impact the overall health of the Manupali watershed and the associated environmental services (e.g. water flow, biodiversity, etc.) that they could potentially produce, not only for their own farms, but also to outside communities such as the agri-business, irrigation associations, hydropower electric plant, and many others downstream. These communities are specifically directly or indirectly dependent on water environmental services.  The farmers and the LGU’s decisions are key determinants to successful watershed management in the context of provision of environmental services.  However, if indeed “waterflow” are made available, the question that remains are: 1) What incentives are available for farmers and the LGU to maintain the provision of such service?; 2) As users of such service, will NIA, NAPOCOR and the Agribusiness sector be willing to compensate, reward, or pay the Lantapan community for making these services available for their use?; 3) What reward or incentive mechanisms are appropriate or acceptable for both parties?.   These questions informed the goal of this project.

The objective of this collaborative initiative is to develop and institutionalize an acceptable mechanism for rewarding the upland communities of Lantapan for the continued provision of “water”, as an environmental service to downstream communities, particularly NIA and the agribusiness sector in Valencia City and NAPOCOR in Maramag, Bukidnon. This objective will be carried out through three major activities namely; 1) Rapid Hydrological Appraisal; 2) Negotiation of Agreements; 3) Implementation of mechanisms and agreements, and monitoring.

Accomplishments
• Conducted round-table discussions, stakeholders’ meetings, workshops and field reconnaissance
• Organized the RUPES-Working Group in Manupali watershed
• Conducted RHA (e.g. LEK and PEK surveys, vegetation and household mapping)
• Facilitated the development and implementation of LGU-Lantapan’s Sustainable Farming System Incentive-Based Policy-Program
• Published and distributed brochures

World Agroforestry Centre
PHILIPPINES Country Office
Khush Hall, International Rice Research Institute
Los Baños, Laguna, Philippines
PO Box 35024, UPLB, College, Laguna
4031, Philippines
Telephone: +63 2 845 0563/70/75
Telefax: +63 49 536 2925