JUST HOW important is clean water?
The recent cholera and acute gastroenteritis outbreak in Iloilo City has opened our eyes to the hard truth that water is a very basic need yet we still have communities that have no access to clean and potable water.
A study by the World Resources Institute revealed that the Philippines will likely experience severe water shortage by 2040 due to the combined impact of rapid population growth and climate change. Furthermore, the Philippines ranks 57 out of 167 countries that are highly vulnerable to severe water shortage.
Water is a very valuable resource. While 71 percent of the Earth is covered by water, 97 percent of this is ocean water, 2.5 percent is frozen water and only 0.5 percent is suitable for human use and consumption.
Thus, water affects our food security as agriculture accounts for much of our water consumption, which makes it vital for us to protect our watersheds. The issue of open defecation is likewise a national sanitation and health issue, which can be addressed if all Filipinos have access to clean water. Data from the Department of Health shows that around eight million Filipinos still openly defecate as they have no access to sanitary facilities.
Is the Rainwater Collection and Harvesting Act which requires the building of catchments in homes and public and private buildings – so that rainwater can later be used for cleaning, watering gardens, and other industrial purposes – and other laws related to water being strictly implemented?
It’s high time the government – national and local – takes a closer look at its water program. Do we have a roadmap for sustainable water use?
The continued overlapping and fragmented regulation of water supply services in the country by several government entities could be a factor that hinders the enactment of a doable and long-term solution to prevent water shortage. We must reform the water industry itself and lay down a roadmap to ensure water security for the country.
Water is a human right and the State must ensure that the water in our lakes, rivers and other sources of freshwater reaches our faucets and is fully maximized. Every citizen must have access to potable water but this must be sustained in the long-term.
