A project to demonstrate the “eco-town framework” in four municipalities and in Rizal City is being implemented by the Southeast Asian Regional Center for Graduate Study and Research

in Agriculture (Searca) for the Climate Change Commission (CCC) to help local government units (LGUs) lead in implementing green, climate-resilient growth options in development planning.

The project is called the “Technical Assistance 8111 PHI: Climate Resilience and Green Growth in the Upper Marikina River Basin Protected Landscape [UMRBPL]: Demonstrating the Eco-town
Framework.”

The project is funded by the Asian Development Bank.

“This project can also set the framework on how upland LGUs can be agents in creating climate change-resilient communities that can also contribute to preserving the environment and improving the quality of life. The end-result of the UMRBPL project are climate change-resilient communities in the areas covered by the project in Rizal,” said Dr. Gil Saguiguit Jr., Searca director.

The UMRBL project will cover 26,125.64 hectares bordered in the West by the Lungsod Silangan Townsite Reservation and Pamitinan Protected Landscape; in the Southwest by the Integrated Social Forestry Program; on the South by the Alienable and Disposable Lands; in the East by Kaliwa Forest Reserve; and in the North by the Angat Watershed Reservation.

The local units that will take part in the project are Antipolo City and the municipalities of Baras, Rodriguez, San Mateo and Tanay, all part of Rizal province.

The watershed covered by the project is a mountainous terrain with Marikina River as the main waterway influencing Rizal province. The river flows in the southwest direction toward Laguna Lake.

Searca will implement the project from November 2012 to November 2014.

The project’s major activities include the conduct of a full socio-economic profiling at the UMRBPL, climate modeling and risk assessment, greenhouse gas inventory, and production of GIS maps.

Among its expected outputs are at least five surveys on topics such as stakeholder perceptions on green growth and climate resilience, greenhouse gas inventory at the local units level, green growth road map development, ecosystems valuation and demonstration of the eco-town framework.