The Project Ridge to Reef aims to provide a holistic intervention for protecting the coastal area by targeting environmental degradation in the uplands (“ridge”) that impact coastal ecosystems through sedimentation, by restoring the shoreline and protecting marine ecosystems (“reef”), thereby mitigating storm surges, coastal and inland flooding and reduce people’s exposure and vulnerability to these hazards.
In the municipality of Sanchez Mira, Project Ridge to Reef, A Whole of Community Approach, was implemented as a flood prevention and mitigation program. It was conceptualized due to the frequent incidents of flooding in 2019 that caused massive destruction to the municipality’s natural resources, major crops and infrastructure. To ensure holistic approach to disaster risk reduction (DRR) and climate change adaptation (CCA), the project has the following components: (1) tree and bamboo propagation; (2) tree and bamboo planting and growing; (3) river clean-up and desiltation from water hyacinth; (4) dredging of estuaries; and (5) coastal and underwater clean-up.
Community participation and ownership is a key to project sustainability. Project Ridge to Reef, although spearheaded by the Municipal Local Government Unit through its MDRRM Office, is implemented in partnership with the Barangay Officials, Civil Society Organizations (CSOs), Non-government Organizations (NGOs), People’s Organizations (POs) and national government agencies, academe and private sector.