Gov. Eugenio Jose Lacson led the launching of the Provincial Integrated Water Security Program that aims to increase access to resilient water supply, improve water resource management, and strengthen water sector governance in Negros Occidental at the Capitol in Bacolod City, Tuesday, June 8.
It is a significant step towards a serious, science and evidence based approach, and in- depth water governance for a more inclusive and sustainable development in the province of Negros Occidental, the governor said.
The program, with the theme “Securing our Water Resources”, is being implemented as part of the USAID Safe Water Program.
Lacson said 2.2 billion people globally do not have access to safe water at home and in the Philippines, nearly 5 million rely on unsafe water sources.
In Negros Occidental that has a population of 3 million Negrenses, 25 percent have no access to water supply, and 18 percent have no access to sanitation services. With these figures, it is a pity to know that while the entire world has made leaps in terms of modernization and technology, a very basic need such as water remains a privilege for some, he said.
“We all know that water is a basic need, but such has become scarce. This concern, pressing as it is, is further aggravated by water pollution, water borne diseases, climate change, and deforestation, to name a few,” Lacson said.
Skillful and educated collaborations are needed if we are to have real, effective, powerful, and sustainable solutions, he said.
“Although the government has the primary obligation to address this concern, all other sectors and stakeholders must be enjoined. In matters of transcendental importance, there can be no monopoly of ideas,” he added.
Rep. Francisco “Kiko” Benitez (Neg. Occ., 3rd District), who initiated the Negros water summit last year, also thanked the USAID for its assistance to the people of Negros Occidental to ensure sustainable supply of safe water and adequate sanitation in the province.
Between October 2019 and February 2020, his office co-organized with the governor and Provincial Administrator Rayfrando Diaz a series of discussions culminating in the Negros Water Summit to bring to the fore issues on water security in the province and the varied laws and regulations, and the diverse aspects of the agencies and often overlapping mandates that pertain to the use of water, Benitez said.
The Summit highlighted increasing demand and competition for water in households, industries and agriculture – and its negative impact on water sources and ecosystems, Benitez said.
Population growth, industrialization and urbanization, and climate change are increasing our risk of water scarcity as well as the attendant health risks of untreated sewage and polluted waterways, he added.
Climate change is also disrupting the water cycle – with higher temperatures increasing evaporation and altering rainfall patterns and rising sea levels, Benitez said.
The depletion and contamination of aquifers, the pollution of surface water sources, the denudation of forests and watersheds threaten supply of safe drinking water; while increase in concrete surface areas as well as tilled soil lead to less absorption of water and increase our risks for floods, he added.
The Summit provided a platform for co-creation of solutions of stakeholders – from environmental groups to the private sector, from national government agencies to local authorities – to address the threats to water security in the province, he said.
An integrated approach to water resources management is key to rational and sustainable development and management of water, land and related resources to maximize economic benefit, and ensure social welfare and ecological balance that respects the cycles of nature, Benitez said.*