Clenro to use bamboo to prevent erosion in riverbanks

The City Local Environment and Natural Resources Office (Clenro) will be prioritizing bamboo propagation in the riverbanks surrounding the city as one of it's campaign for a green environment.

Through its Forestry Division, Clenro is preparing to plant 1,5000 bamboo seedlings in the riverbanks of the Umalag River, Bigaan River, at Isla de Oro and in barangays Consolacion and FS Catanico.

Clenro head Edwin Dael said a memorandum of agreement (MOA) is set to be signed by City Mayor Oscar Moreno and volunteer groups, including the barangay officials of the concerned barangays to officially launch the program.

Dael said these volunteer groups will be tasked to plant and look after the bamboo.

“Our role is not finished on merely planting the bamboos, we need to propagate them, and make sure they survive because in turn, the bamboos' presence helps us, especially in controlling or preventing soil erosion,” Dael said.

According to Dael, studies show that bamboo can also improve the quality, moisture and stability of the soil, especially in riverbanks. Riverbanks in the city are targets of excessive sand or gravel extraction, which is also cited as one of the reasons for soil erosion.

Dael said bamboo have been used to control landslides, land degradation and soil mass movement.

The Department of Science and Technology's Philippine Council for Agriculture, Aquatic and Natural Resources Research and Development, through its Forestry and Environment Research Division, meanwhile has identified bamboo among its priority commodities, as it is being considered as an alternative to timber wood.