RIVER REHABILITATION

RIVER REHABILITATION Whenever there are proposals to rehabilitate rivers, it seems that the first thing that comes to the mind of the planners is to widen the river. That is not always the best idea because of zoning regulations, and because the lands beyond the river easements could already be privately owned, and there may be no funds available for expropriation. I therefore think that the more practical idea is to deepen the river, meaning to remove the silt and whatever other deposits that might have sunk into its bottoms. After hundreds of years without any desilting done, it’s probably the right time for a proper river cleanup. I am saying that, because the usual idea for a river cleanup is to clean the river surface, which is a rather limited and simplistic view. Even without artificial river widening, some rivers could become wider because of erosion, which could be a problem for private landowners beyond the river easements. I think that the LGUs have the duty to help these private owners so that their lands are not eroded needlessly. One sure way to prevent river erosion is to plant freshwater mangroves around the riverbanks. That way, the roots could stabilize the soil, and it would even bring back the fish into the waters, probably even the crabs. Mangroves are ideal to plant because they can adapt to high salinity just in case the water is still brackish. IKE SENERES/05-18-2024