As an archipelagic nation with rich natural resources, the Philippines has a large amount of water resources, particularly from rivers, lakes, and groundwater. Ironically, water security remains a challenge for the country.
In the past months, weather patterns and climate conditions have highlighted another growing challenge on water security — either we have too little or too much. This affects not only water supply, sanitation, and access to safe drinking water, but also food security, jobs and livelihood, the environment, and the economy as a whole.
Water security is key to our development and resilience, as the World Bank stressed, noting that 42 percent of the country’s jobs are in sectors that use water intensively, such as crop and animal production, construction of buildings, food and beverage activities, fishing and aquaculture, manufacture of food products, human health activities, and manufacturing of clothing. Tourism and semiconductors industries are also known to be water-intensive.
According to the National Economic and Development Authority (NEDA), 97.6 percent of Filipino families use improved drinking water sources and 84 percent have access to basic sanitation services. However, without sound water governance, we will not be able to achieve universal access to safe water and sanitation services by 2030. In fact, parts of the country are projected to endure extreme water stress by 2050 if we fail to employ significant changes in water management.
Poor management, over-extraction of groundwater, contamination of freshwater supplies, rapid population growth and urbanization all contribute to water scarcity, further compounded by the climate crisis.
According to GHD’s 2022 Aquanomics report, the Philippines will experience an average economic decline of 0.7 percent in annual GDP in the years up to 2050 because of water risks. Moreover, the agriculture sector will be severely affected by climate shocks with significant decline in corn, sugarcane and rice yield by 2030, based on the Philippines Country Climate Development Report (CCDR).
The World Bank emphasizes that with the threat of climate change on socio-economic progress, water security must be prioritized. In order to adapt to climate change in a sustainable and inclusive manner, there should be an integrated approach to water security, which includes the planning, development, and management of water — from water resource management down to water use.
This integrated approach has four pillars: (1) achieving universal access to safe water supply and sanitation; (2) improving irrigation models and productivity; (3) reducing flood and drought risks through sustainable water resource management; (4) and enhancing water security in fragility, conflict, and violence areas through a holistic development approach for peace.
In order to achieve water security, the NEDA highlights the need for a Department of Water (DWR) and a Water Regulatory Commission (WRC) that will address the institutional fragmentation of the water sector, as well as to improve infrastructure planning and management.
Water is a vital resource that we cannot live without. It affects every aspect of our lives, including our health and safety. It is crucial to the growth of our communities and our economy. Where do we get water in times of extreme heat? Where do we put excess water in times of torrential rains?
It is time that we rethink our policy on water. We need to manage our water resources well and address the threats to water scarcity and access to safe drinking water. Otherwise, it will be impossible to solve poverty and achieve sustainable progress. Water is our need now; water is our future. -30-
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