The Upper Bukidnon River Basin and the Lake Lanao Basin feed at least six (6) major rivers of Mindanao including Cagayan River and Rio Grande.  Water for irrigating the rice lands of Mindanao also come from these two (2) major river basin. Meanwhile, Lake Lanao supports seven (7) hydroelectric power plants supplying 55 – 65% of the power requirement of Mindanao.

The indigenous peoples in the river basin are the Maranaos, with pockets of Higaonon, Kolibugan and Iranon. Together, they constitute about 91% of the population of the province of Lanao del Sur.

Among the issues and concerns in this river basin are:

• Changes in climatological conditions as manifested by i) rainfall irregularity, intensity and erosivity; and ii) reduction in annual rainfall and rainy days;
• Land degradation attributed to: i) slope and terrain of watershed; ii) dislocation of timberlands in flatlands and A &D lands in slopes above 18%; iii) deforestation; iv) agricultural activities encroachment into fragile ecosystems; and iv) sand and gravel quarrying that is encroaching critical zones; and
• Water utilization as exhibited by: i) lake has lot of water for electric generation while most localities in the lake area do not have water for drinking or irrigation; ii) most agricultural areas are rainfed; iii) serious siltation of the littoral zones of Lake Lanao; iv) overdrawing of water from the lake; and v) unutilized aquifer in Lumba-a Bayabo.