NAST to address water issues in the 34th Annual Scientific Meeting

By Precie Catherine C. Cuarto

Wednesday 4th of July 2012

QUEZON CITY, July 4 (PIA) -- The Philippines is blessed with fresh water, but scarcity remains an issue. Thus, the National Academy of Science and Technology will be slating its 34th Annual Scientific Meeting (ASM) with the theme, "Philippine Water 2050," to target four-fold objectives in addressing the water issues three decades hence.

In a press release, the Philippines has a favorable average rainfall of 2400 millimeters. In 2005, however, with a population of 84.5 million and a theoretical annual renewable water supply of 479 billion cubic meters (BCM), per capita availability of water was 5690 cubic meter (m3), which was five times the figure of 1000 m3 per capita a year, which is used for benchmarking global water scarcity.

Moreover, according to the 2004 Country Environmental Analysis for the Philippines, the practical available water supply is much below those theoretical estimates because only about one-thirds of the country’s river systems are classified as suitable sources of water supply, since 58 percent of groundwater is contaminated with coliform and needs treatment.

The objectives of the ASM are: to assess the current and prospective water situation of the country by 2050; to review water resources development plans for different regions and major urban centers by various departments or agencies for their respective subsectors; to prepare a long-term research and development agenda for water; and to craft recommendations to the President, Congress, Executive Departments and Agencies responsible for water resources planning and development.

The Academy also underscores that concerns go beyond the need for clean and safe domestic use of water.

“Equally important are water-related needs relevant to health and sanitation including sewerage and septage management, food security and livelihoods, irrigation and drainage for agriculture and fisheries, protection and management of watersheds and coastal seas for conservation of biodiversity and ecological sustainability, for disaster mitigation (i.e. drainage and flood control), and energy security (i.e. hydropower generation),” said NAST.

Organization of the 34th ASM is headed by the Biological Sciences Division of NAST with Academician Emil Q. Javier as chair and Academician Guillermo Q. Tabios III of the Engineering Sciences and Technology Division, as co-chair. (PCCC/PIA-Central)