According to a Social Weather Stations survey conducted in December 2022, 93% of Filipinos have experienced the impact of climate change. This number has gone up in the past few years, from 85% in March 2013 and 87% in March 2017.
One of the ways in which people experience the effects of global warming is through extreme weather conditions and shifts in weather patterns: typhoons and droughts. Typhoons cause widespread destruction along their path, as we know too well. At the other end of the weather spectrum, droughts put extreme pressure on a critical resource: water. Water scarcity affects people’s daily lives and agricultural production.
Beyond disrupting people’s daily routines, water insecurity magnifies the structural inequalities already present in society. Water is a scarce resource and those who are in a better economic position will have better access to it than those who are economically disadvantaged. Further, water insecurity will hamper the country’s ability to achieve sustainable economic development and provide a basic necessity for its growing population.
I talk about these not in a speculative manner. We already see and feel the effects of climate change. Moreover, just earlier this month, the PAGASA said that their climate monitoring and analyses indicated an unusual warming of sea surface temperatures along the equatorial Pacific. This has developed into what is now a weak El Niño that is showing signs of strengthening in the coming months.
Indeed, the risks of water shortage in many parts of the Philippines, in both rural and urban areas, and spanning all sectors of society, have become more pronounced. Its effects span a wide spectrum, from people’s health to economic advancement.
In the face of all this, what can we do? What is already being done?
President Ferdinand Marcos, Jr. signed Executive Order (EO)No. 22 on April 27 this year, creating the Water Resource Management Office (WRMO) in the Department of Environment and Natural Resources. The EO acknowledges the fragmented nature of the water and sanitation sector. Thus, the WRMO aims to harmonize government efforts and regulatory bodies to ensure the availability and sustainability of our water resources.
Ultimately, the EO says, the social and economic progress of the country is highly dependent on the proper development, shared management, control and utilization of its water resources. To avert a water crisis, and minimize and avoid conflicts consistent with the state’s sole ownership and control over the country’s water resources, the government now undertakes this step.
The EO further states that the Integrated Water Resources Master Plan will serve as the comprehensive national policy for the management of water resources, and that a whole-of-government approach will be adopted to carry out its objectives.
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It is our hope that the Marcos Jr. administration, with the able leadership of Environment Secretary Ma. Antonia Yulo-Loyzaga, takes strategic action with long-term results. But of course, the government cannot embark on this undertaking on its own. Achieving a water-secure Philippines requires the support and participation of all stakeholders.
The private sector has been making a valuable contribution to this end through investments and programs that enhance water access and quality, particularly in urban areas. Water companies have shown their commitment by expanding their investments in water infrastructure, treatment facilities, and distribution networks to increase access to safe and clean water. These initiatives by the private sector are crucial to realizing our shared vision of a water-secure Philippines.
A forum organized by Stratbase ADR Institute, in partnership with the DENR, touched on all these crucial issues. Called “Philippine Water Management Agenda: Ensuring Sustainability and Security,” the gathering brought together representatives of the Metropolitan Waterworks and Sewerage System, Maynilad, Manila Water, Aboitiz, and Filinvest, as well as from the Ateneo School of Government, CitizenWatch Philippines and the Philippine Business for Environmental Stewardship or PBEST.
These key stakeholders from diverse sectors discussed the government’s water management agenda complemented by the private sector’s initiatives to contribute to a water-secure Philippines. They explored pathways by which a whole-of-society approach could be adopted.
DENR Secretary Yulo-Loyzaga, in her remarks, highlighted that water is a shared responsibility of the community. She cited the dwindling supply from Angat Dam and the impending El Niño, saying the creation of the WRMO was a good first step in having a coordinated approach to facing this problem.
“We affirm our commitment to universal access to clean water, recognize the urgency of addressing pollution and climate change, and embrace the transformative potential of innovation and partnerships,” she said.
I was heartened by her words when she said: “The journey towards water security may be daunting, but our collective resolve and shared responsibility will guide us towards success.” The operative word, I believe, is “collective.”
DENR Undersecretary Carlos Primo “CP” C. David presented how the department has adopted digital technology to develop a complete mapping of all the rivers, creeks and streams of the entire country to guide water management strategies for bulk water supply development and distribution to the local population.
He explained how water storage should be the mitigation strategy that will scale water resources, many of which will be smaller dams and reservoirs given the archipelagic geography of the country.
We are now in a situation wherein the onset of El Niño will amplify a water supply problem wherein there is no short-term solution. The demand will simply keep on growing and if we are not able to implement strategic solutions, we will struggle with a recurring water crisis that will hit hard on our whole ecosystem. It is imperative that we all take action now.
Victor Andres “Dindo” C. Manhit is the president of the Stratbase ADR Institute.
