Water budget development for local council management

Local initiatives in developing Watershed Councils are emerging in the Philippines where water is recognized as a resource under threat from over extraction, quality loss, and extreme fluctuations. Six municipalities in eastern Bohol cover the Carood Watershed yet implementing their own resource management plans. Basic technical knowledge of water and relations with land use planning are limited though generally desired. Information gathered from different government sources give an initial area water budget. Local government is drawing on this knowledge of the local environment to engage more effectively in the long-term management of the resources in addressing social and environmental concerns. Stakeholders are working through six steps, putting together a local understanding: (1) development from high school climatic knowledge, (2) network of community rain gauges, (3) municipal forum development, (4) shared water-related municipal concerns, (5) data analysis and water budget, and (6) review of land use planning as impacting water management.