MALOLOS CITY—Ironies marked the opening of the Luzon Water Summit at the Clark Freeport on Tuesday.
This includes the fact that while surrounded by water, the country has the second lowest per capita water availability in Southeast Asia, beating only Thailand.
Two of the 12 Water Resources Regions (WRR) in the country are already experiencing potable water deficit, groundwater in nine major cities are now stressed, while some major tourist destinations were tagged as water quality hotspots.
“This requires concerted efforts among us, not only from government agencies, but from all of us,” Vicente Paragas, executive director of the National Water Resources Board (NWRB).
Paragas was interviewed by this writer after presenting the current water realities in the country in the first day of the Luzon wide Integrated Water Summit held at the Fontana Convention Center in Clark Freeport on Tuesday.
His Powerpoint presentation showed that the country is experiencing extreme weather highlighted by twin weather phenomenon—El Niño which is marked with lack of rain and drought and La Niña which is characterized by typhoons with above normal rainfall.
Paragas stressed that the country is also surrounded by water and yet the country has the second lowest per capita water availability in Southeast Asia.
He also disclosed that Central Luzon and Southern Tagalog are experiencing water deficit as of December 2007. This is because the two WRRs water potential are exceeded by water demand and water allocation.
WRRs do not necessarily follow the regional political subdivisions. In the case of the WRR 1 and 2, it included the Cordillera Administrative Region.
In Central Luzon, water potential is less than 10,000 million cubic meters (MCM), but water demand projection by 2025 will be at least 18,000 MCM. Even higher is the water allocated as of December 2007 at about 20,000 MCM.
Paragas also said that the country’s ground water potential is only 20,200 MCM per year.
He also identified nine major cities in the country with ground water stress.
It includes Metro Manila, Baguio City, Angeles City in Central Luzon, Metro Cebu, Bacolod City, Iloilo City, Davao City, Cagayan De oro City and Zamboanga City.
Paraas explained that what makes groundwater stress in the abovementioned cities discomforting is the fact that they belong to the country’s growth areas.
He said that rapid development in those cities results to rapid depletion of water resources.
Paragas said that over extraction of water due to increasing demands has resulted to decline in ground water levels and drying up of wells and springs.
He said that water stakeholders including every citizen must now reconsider their actions that impacts water resources of the country.
For their part, Dr. Maria Luz-Enriquez of the National Agricultural and Fisher Council (NAFC) and Engineer Isidra Penaranda called on for the implementation of Integrated Water Resources Management (IWRM) approach.
IWRM is the coordinated development and management of water, land and related resources within hydrological boundaries to optimize economic and social welfare in an equitable manner without compromising the sustainability of vital ecosystems.
Penaranda further explained that IWRM is a systematic and adaptive process conducted in collaboration with stake holders for sustainable management of water resources in the context of social equity and economic and environmental objectives.
This includes the fact that while surrounded by water, the country has the second lowest per capita water availability in Southeast Asia, beating only Thailand.
Two of the 12 Water Resources Regions (WRR) in the country are already experiencing potable water deficit, groundwater in nine major cities are now stressed, while some major tourist destinations were tagged as water quality hotspots.
“This requires concerted efforts among us, not only from government agencies, but from all of us,” Vicente Paragas, executive director of the National Water Resources Board (NWRB).
Paragas was interviewed by this writer after presenting the current water realities in the country in the first day of the Luzon wide Integrated Water Summit held at the Fontana Convention Center in Clark Freeport on Tuesday.
His Powerpoint presentation showed that the country is experiencing extreme weather highlighted by twin weather phenomenon—El Niño which is marked with lack of rain and drought and La Niña which is characterized by typhoons with above normal rainfall.
Paragas stressed that the country is also surrounded by water and yet the country has the second lowest per capita water availability in Southeast Asia.
He also disclosed that Central Luzon and Southern Tagalog are experiencing water deficit as of December 2007. This is because the two WRRs water potential are exceeded by water demand and water allocation.
WRRs do not necessarily follow the regional political subdivisions. In the case of the WRR 1 and 2, it included the Cordillera Administrative Region.
In Central Luzon, water potential is less than 10,000 million cubic meters (MCM), but water demand projection by 2025 will be at least 18,000 MCM. Even higher is the water allocated as of December 2007 at about 20,000 MCM.
Paragas also said that the country’s ground water potential is only 20,200 MCM per year.
He also identified nine major cities in the country with ground water stress.
It includes Metro Manila, Baguio City, Angeles City in Central Luzon, Metro Cebu, Bacolod City, Iloilo City, Davao City, Cagayan De oro City and Zamboanga City.
Paraas explained that what makes groundwater stress in the abovementioned cities discomforting is the fact that they belong to the country’s growth areas.
He said that rapid development in those cities results to rapid depletion of water resources.
Paragas said that over extraction of water due to increasing demands has resulted to decline in ground water levels and drying up of wells and springs.
He said that water stakeholders including every citizen must now reconsider their actions that impacts water resources of the country.
For their part, Dr. Maria Luz-Enriquez of the National Agricultural and Fisher Council (NAFC) and Engineer Isidra Penaranda called on for the implementation of Integrated Water Resources Management (IWRM) approach.
IWRM is the coordinated development and management of water, land and related resources within hydrological boundaries to optimize economic and social welfare in an equitable manner without compromising the sustainability of vital ecosystems.
Penaranda further explained that IWRM is a systematic and adaptive process conducted in collaboration with stake holders for sustainable management of water resources in the context of social equity and economic and environmental objectives.
