DENR set to launch livelihood program

The Department of Environment and Natural Resources (DENR) will launch next month a livelihood assistance program designed to lessen the pressure on the upland and coastal ecosystems while supporting the call of the President Arroyo for poverty reduction and wealth creation.

Called Community Livelihood Assistance Special Program (CLASP), the project caters to resource-dependent and urban communities in different areas of the country. It will make use of appropriate and environmentally sound technologies that will afford sustainable socio-economic and ecological benefits to these communities. Its target beneficiaries are local government units (LGUs) people’s organization (POs) non-government organization (NGOs), and the various local communities.

CLASP will serve as information exchange and coordinating center for facilitating access to available technologies technical assistance and funding sources. For this purpose, it will: (1) disseminate environment and natural resources (ENR)-related prototype livelihood projects appropriate to the upland, coastal, urban, and other communities; (2) provide information and technical assistance to start project implementation or to expand those that are potential for becoming sustainable and commercially viable; (3) provide support services; and (4) conduct researches that will ensure the sustainability of the projects.

For livelihood projects to qualify under CLASP, one major criterion is they should sustainably develop the ENR. The proposed project must also: (1) address the specific needs of the community, (2) apply the technologies developed and tested by DENR ; (3) have the potential of contributing in the creation of wealth; (4) are adaptable and acceptable, and can elicit support form funding organizations; and are (5) simple and of practical applicability.

The prototype projects have already been initially identified. Most to them are the uplands, i.e. bamboo propagation and plantation, goal production under forest plantation, charcoal briquettes production and rattan seedling production. For coastal communities, water hyacinth production for handicraft and flower arrangement has been identified.

Assistance for this program will be provided in the regional offices by a regional livelihood assistance team and in the central office by the steering and technical committees.