KASIBU, Nueva Vizcaya—The International River Foundation (IRF) in partnership with Australian-Canadian miner OceanaGold here launched “Project We Build” to promote sustainable restoration and management of river basins destroyed by unregulated small-scale mining operations in the Cagayan Valley
The IRF and OceanaGold will work with affected local communities and non-government organizations in their project called the “Water and Environment: Building Unity for Inclusive Living and Development.”
According to IRF officials, the degradation of river systems that lie dangerously close to sites of mining activities has been the subject of serious concern in many countries throughout the developing world.
They said the issue of river degradation which experts trace to unmitigated small-scale mining is viewed particularly by the province of Nueva Vizcaya with “grave urgency.”
IRF chief executive officer Nick Schofield said the problem has impacted communities along the Didipio River since the 1970s when gold was first discovered.
During the launching, Schofield announced that the project will mainly focus on integrated river basin management of the Addalam River.
For its part, OceanaGold has also announced the launching of its Water Leader Scholarship Program as part of its environment and social management efforts.
OceanaGold country director Bradley Norman said the program is open to all who are inclined to doing research and further study on sustainable river system management under the supervision of the IRF.
“Creating better environmental and social conditions for the people relying on rivers for agriculture, for drinking water and daily needs is the main aim of the company’s partnership with IRF,” Norman said.
“The company’s successes would not have been achievable without the support of our communities, governments and our partners. We continue to strive to be a leader in sustainable mining by tackling the issues that matter most to our stakeholders,” he added.