DENR reiterates call for proper utilization of water resourcesBY ELLALYN B. DE VERA
ENVIRONMENT and Natural Resources Secretary Angelo Reyes has renewed his call for the government and the public to join hands in the proper management of the country’s water supply to prevent a possible water crisis brought about by the over-exploitation of the country’s water resources.
Reyes proposed a multi-sectoral approach to the management of sources of water supply rather than focusing on developing new sources.
He said the country faces two challenges in water management -- providing safe and affordable water supplies for the needs of the present as well as future generations, and maintaining ecological integrity and preserving the biodiversity of the country’s environment.
"The uncoordinated and uncontrolled exploitation of our country’s water resources has had a major impact on the availability of clean and safe water at present, and has already jeopardized the supply of this resource for future generations," Reyes said during a conference of the Integrated Water Resources Management Group at the Department of Environment and Natural Resources (DENR) central office in Quezon City last Friday.
The DENR chief called for the collaboration of all sectors in managing water resources, involving users, planners, and policymakers at all levels.
He said such collaboration would hopefully prevent a crisis that might lead to conflicts in the use of water resources.
Based on the 1990 baseline data for the Philippines, 27 percent of the population still have no access to drinking water.
"Although there may have been an increase in the country’s overall water supply from 1990 to 2002, coverage actually declined from 81.4 percent to 80 percent in 2002 largely because of the increase in population during the period where the decline in coverage was more pronounced in the rural than in the urban areas," Reyes said.
Furthermore, he estimated that only 1,907 cubic meters of fresh water is available to each person each year.
"This makes us second to the lowest among Southeast Asian countries in fresh water availability," he said.
He said only 36 percent of the river systems can be classified as possible sources of public water supply, adding that as many as 50 of the 421 rivers in the country can be considered as "biologically dead."
He identified irrigated agriculture as responsible for more than 70 percent of all water use because drainage flows from agriculture are polluted. As such less fresh water is available for drinking and industrial use.
"Pollution has also aggravated the crisis by reducing water usability, while over-extraction of groundwater has resulted in the lowering of the water table and an increase in salinity," he added.
Reyes proposed a multi-sectoral approach to the management of sources of water supply rather than focusing on developing new sources.
He said the country faces two challenges in water management -- providing safe and affordable water supplies for the needs of the present as well as future generations, and maintaining ecological integrity and preserving the biodiversity of the country’s environment.
"The uncoordinated and uncontrolled exploitation of our country’s water resources has had a major impact on the availability of clean and safe water at present, and has already jeopardized the supply of this resource for future generations," Reyes said during a conference of the Integrated Water Resources Management Group at the Department of Environment and Natural Resources (DENR) central office in Quezon City last Friday.
The DENR chief called for the collaboration of all sectors in managing water resources, involving users, planners, and policymakers at all levels.
He said such collaboration would hopefully prevent a crisis that might lead to conflicts in the use of water resources.
Based on the 1990 baseline data for the Philippines, 27 percent of the population still have no access to drinking water.
"Although there may have been an increase in the country’s overall water supply from 1990 to 2002, coverage actually declined from 81.4 percent to 80 percent in 2002 largely because of the increase in population during the period where the decline in coverage was more pronounced in the rural than in the urban areas," Reyes said.
Furthermore, he estimated that only 1,907 cubic meters of fresh water is available to each person each year.
"This makes us second to the lowest among Southeast Asian countries in fresh water availability," he said.
He said only 36 percent of the river systems can be classified as possible sources of public water supply, adding that as many as 50 of the 421 rivers in the country can be considered as "biologically dead."
He identified irrigated agriculture as responsible for more than 70 percent of all water use because drainage flows from agriculture are polluted. As such less fresh water is available for drinking and industrial use.
"Pollution has also aggravated the crisis by reducing water usability, while over-extraction of groundwater has resulted in the lowering of the water table and an increase in salinity," he added.
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