The city government is encouraging groups and organizations to “adopt” waterways by helping in their maintenance, as part of environmental protection efforts.

“The city wants to expand its current adopt-a-park program to include waterways so that the public will be actively involved in the ongoing efforts to improve the city’s state of the environment,” Rhenan Diwas, City Environment and Parks Management Office (CEPMO) chief, said in an interview Wednesday.

He said the city is reaping gains in the implementation of the measure, with the increase in green cover of forests and watersheds, which they hope to replicate in the vegetation of the numerous waterways.

“Making the environment green is one of the local government’s major thrusts for environmental action leading to climate resilience amid the challenges of climate change,” he said.

The city has four major river systems — Balili River leading to La Trinidad and Sablan in Benguet and drains to Naguilian River; the Bued River that flows along Kennon Road; the Ambalanga River that drains in Itogon and the Asin-Galiano River that goes down to the municipality of Tuba in Benguet. All rivers drain to the lowlands and out to the sea.

Diwas said that it is also important for the city to have partners to help conduct activities that will improve the current state of the four major river systems and their tributaries.

Adopters will participate in the cleanup and in designing and maintaining the vegetation of these waterways, which will eventually bring back better water quality.

Diwas said that interested adopters will pass through a similar vetting process applied to park adopters to guarantee their commitment. (PNA)