Some say flukes in the weather in Manila and Batangas are symptoms of climate change brought about by a global rise in temperature. Some in the Philippines have taken it to mean less rain. But scientists say this is not necessarily the case. Some parts of the Philippines may receive less rain, but others may feel no change in rain patterns at all. Scientists agree that climate change might intensify the hydrologic cycle. That is, it might result in wetter wet seasons and dryer dry seasons. But what climate change actually means is greater variability and unpredictability in weather. All these exacerbate existing problems in the country’s water resource situation.
The dependence on rain
Keeping tabs of the rain is important in the Philippines, since it is the source of all of the country’s fresh water. The rains are vital to keep the hydrologic cycle going. Rains replenish both surface waters and groundwater, although surface water is more directly affected by changes in rain patterns.
Manila and its neighboring provinces rely on surface water from rivers and similar sources for their freshwater needs and are thus very vulnerable to changes in the weather. In Metro Manila, people turn to rain to save them from the ever-present threat of a water crisis. During the dry months, the metropolis is always on the verge of a water shortage. Angat Dam, which supplies 97 percent of Metro Manila’s water, suffers from decreasing levels during the dry months. In January this year, its water level was six meters below the ideal 210 meters, forcing water concessionaires to consider curtailing water supply. According to water resources specialist Dr. Carlos Primo C. David of the UP National Institute of Geological Sciences, in April 2010, the Angat water level went below the critical water level of 180 meters.
In cases of water shortage, continuous tap water for Metro Manila will entail sacrificing irrigation and power generation, since Angat Dam also supplies water for irrigation in Bulacan and for the turbines contributing electricity to the Luzon power grid. The water released for power generation is usually the water used for irrigation.
In Taal, Batangas, it need not have rained this summer for townsfolk to get their tap water. Like the rest of Batangas, Taal relies on groundwater for tap water, and the supply has been steady. Furthermore, sugarcane plantations need no irrigating at all. But the rains need to come consistently at some point to replenish the groundwater. And Taal may even be susceptible to another effect of the global rise in temperature: the gradual rise in sea levels which could mean salt water intrusion into its aquifers, despite its deep well’s location far from the sea. Sea-level rise is a threat to many low-lying coastal municipalities in the Philippines.
A local and national scarcity
According to Maynilad, the inconsistent water flow, lack of replenishment in the summer, and steady decrease in capacity caused by sedimentation may render Angat Dam insufficient to meet the growing water demands of Metro Manila and Bulacan in as little as two years’ time, with or without climate change. Unlike Taal, the metropolis can no longer rely on groundwater. Extraction throughout the years has already resulted in salt water intrusion and subsidence—the gradual sinking of land due to over-extraction of groundwater—in such areas as Parañaque and Camanava (Caloocan, Malabon, Navotas, Valenzuela). Water companies in the metropolis are looking into other sources of surface water in the near future.
Like Manila, Taal will also need to tap into other sources of water in the future. As with all urbanizing districts, its population will grow, and there will be more water demand from industries and commercial establishments. To continue relying on groundwater will lead to over-extraction. As it is, running water is available for only certain hours of the day, and many households far from population centers have yet to be reached by the water district’s pipes.
And while the communities at the foot of Mt. Banahaw may consider themselves blessed with more than the usual supply of water, this does not mean they have no water problems. Abundant sources do not mean water running strongly through all their taps. The water system of Sitio Lansonisan consists of people paying to have pipes connected from springs to their households, relying on gravity for water pressure. Households need to have their own pumps to bring water to the rest of the house.
The situation in Metro Manila, Bulacan province, Taal town, and Sitio Lansonisan illustrates the variability of water situations in the country. If the national government aims to secure water for the entire nation, it must consider issues at the level of the country’s around 1,500 municipalities.
David, who heads a project on climate change effects on the country’s water resources, stresses this point as he measures the vulnerability of institutions to climate change particularly as far as effects on water resources are concerned. He is thus scaling down measurements to the level of the municipality.
Dr. Carlos Primo C. David
Water is a resource unlike oil or even agricultural produce in that its users need to source water within or very near their area. While the transport of water and off-site water treatment (such as water refilling stations) are now becoming viable, each municipality usually still has to source, treat, and distribute water that comes from within their jurisdiction. Within the Clean Water Act of 2004 is a provision for the creation of Water Quality Management Areas (WQMAs). The idea is to delegate the protection of watersheds and waterways to a local governing board composed of LGU representatives and stakeholders and with guidance from national government agencies like the Department of Environment and Natural Resources and the Department of Health*.
At the same time, the matter cannot be left to each municipality to solve on its own. Rivers and streams flow through many municipalities. A municipality cannot claim a spring as its own, keep the water to itself, and deprive other barrios downstream of their right to the water. Metro Manila and other urban centers in the Philippines cannot rely on water sources within their territories to supply their water needs. In most cases, they do not have such water sources. With its over-extracted groundwaters and polluted rivers, Metro Manila can only rely on the watersheds of Bulacan. In the future, it can rely on the Sierra Madre watersheds straddling Bulacan, Rizal, Quezon, and Laguna for its water, but it must deal with the corresponding local government units and pay them for the water.
Thus, the country’s water situations need to be addressed in an integrated manner—both nationally and locally—taking into account various sources, uses, and agencies of water, as well as the threat of climate change and the entire hydrologic cycle. Water, as a scarce resource, must also be considered an economic issue. The National Water Resources Board (NWRB) projects a three- to four-fold increase in domestic water demand by 2025 and a two to three-fold increase in agriculture demand. At current growth rates, the demand for water will overtake the capacity of Philippine water supply systems by 2025.
Weak, fragmented, stop-gap systems
The NWRB has listed a number of weaknesses in the water sector. In terms of water governance, the management of and access to water and sanitation services are weak and fragmented, and not oriented at sustainability. The same points may be made about policies and regulations. The planning and monitoring of water and sanitation services are uncoordinated. Water governance is made more complex by specific economic, socio-political, and cultural structures of communities.
The NWRB adds that national and local institutions do not have sufficient capacity and knowledge for water-climate change adaptation. For one, there is a lack of assessment of water supply infrastructures that could withstand the impact of extreme climate events. The NWRB also reports a lack in database, systematic, and regular monitoring of water resources and water sector activities at the national and local levels. People do not have adequate knowledge of efficient consumption of water and of the importance of water quality.
Investments on water and climate change adaptation measures for the water sector have been low and information on financing options has not been widespread. Many communities express hesitation to pay corresponding amounts for having running water available to them.
Developing Philippine water resources
As a result of his several advocacies and involvement in the water sector, Dr. Leonardo Q. Liongson of the UP National Hydraulics Research Center, UP Institute of Civil Engineering, and of the National Academy of Science and Technology, has prepared comprehensive recommendations to develop the water resources of the Philippines. His “Science & Technology Strategy for Water Resources” outlines recommendations to address issues in water governance, general water resources development, and other specific water resources issues. (See sidebar for the complete outline of Liongson’s recommendations.)
In zeroing in on significant details of water resources management, scientists must assess, with as little margin of error, how the Philippines can deal with the possible effects of climate change. On the one hand, Dr. David’s detailed and localized study of water resources will help the new administration look at the country’s water situation at the microscopic level and help individual municipalities manage their own water resources. On the other hand, engineers such as Prof. Liongson have the experience and skill to help the administration, national and local, ensure that structures and systems are in place so that people can deal with whatever the changes may bring.
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Email the author at forum@up.edu.ph.
NOTES:
* Dr. David was part of the team that crafted the WQMA implementing rules and regulations.
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