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than 700 million people in Asia-Pacific, including the
Philippines, do not have access to drinking water, but
the situation will not get any better unless people help
protect the water resources.
Alarming
as it may already seem, the situation is worse in the
Philippines, says Environment Secretary Lito Atienza,
citing the dying status of the country’s few remaining
lakes and rivers.
Atienza,
representing President Arroyo as the head of the
Philippine delegation to the 1st Asia-Pacific Water
Summit in Japan, issued the warning as he reiterated his
call for Filipinos to help protect the country’s water
resources. He reminded them that not doing so may spell
disaster.
“There’s
a looming water crisis, and ignoring the warning signs
can spell disaster,” Atienza said. “The situation must
be reversed through concerted action and political
will.”
Problems
in water supply and management, including water
disasters, are getting bigger in the region, and leaders
from 49 Asia-Pacific countries are looking for
solutions. “We are talking here, for instance, about
more than 700 million people in the region who do not
have access to drinking water and another 1.9 billion
who have no access to proper sanitation.”
The DENR
chief stressed, “Water is our most basic need and having
access to clean water is a blessing indeed. But clean
water supply is not infinite, especially when we pollute
our water sources with household and industrial waste.”
He urged
protection for sources of potable water supply, and said
one way is saving some of the country’s freshwater
sources such as lake and rivers.
“This is
the very reason why I have been pushing for the clean-up
and dismantling of fishpens and fish cages in Laguna Bay
and other lakes and rivers in the country,” Atienza
said.
Citing
an Asian Development Bank study, Atienza said 16 of
Philippine rivers and lakes are already biologically
dead during summer and only about 33 percent of river
systems are suitable as water-supply source.
It added
that up to 58 percent of the country’s groundwater is
now contaminated and overexploitation has already
resulted in the intrusion of salty water following the
lowering of water level.
Atienza
said he had discussed the Philippine situation during
the two-day summit in Japan this week and is expecting
follow-up and more frequent communication with water
experts.
The
summit also tackled issues on global warming, with
rising temperatures triggering floods and storms in the
Asia-Pacific region more often than ever. Summit
organizers said the Asia-Pacific region accounts for
about 80 percent of the death toll from water-related
disasters such as floods and tsunamis. |
