Non-Governmental Organizations and Private Sectors are being encouraged to partner with Government in stabilizing riverbanks.

They are also being encouraged to lend support for the control of soil erosion using vetiver grass.

Minister for Environment Dr. Mahendra Reddy says they need to work together to scale-up such ecosystem-based approaches and use it as a vegetative candidate for bioengineering river stabilization work.

Dr. Reddy says the government intends to coordinate 50km of vetiver grass planting every year, inviting NGOs and the private sector to provide support for an additional 50km of vetiver grass each.

He urges the two stakeholders to adopt this unique community-based model whereby they pay them $12, 200 per kilometer or $12.30 per meter of vetiver grass establishment.

Dr. Reddy adds in this way, they can achieve 150km per year with full community ownership.

He reiterates that the stabilization of riverbanks is important but despite current efforts, there still is a lot to be done for the effective management of river banks.