9 - Community-based hydrological and water quality assessments in Mindanao, Philippines

Summary

INTRODUCTION

Philippine water issues

In spite of the fact that the Philippines is water rich, with nearly 5000 cubic metres per capita of renewable water resources, there is a national crisis regarding conservation of a dwindling supply of high quality water. This has led to presidential decrees and other legislative action at the federal level, including Senate Bill No. 1082 which is designed to institute ‘a comprehensive water development act thereby revising and consolidating all the laws governing the appropriation, utilisation, exploitation, conservation, development and management of water resources, creating the National Water Commission’ (Policy Forum, 1997).

Water quality of both coastal marine and inland freshwater environments of the Philippines is threatened by soil erosion and sedimentation, excess nutrient runoff and bacterial contamination. These types of pollutants often come from broad areas of both rural and urban land (usually classified as polluted runoff or non-point source pollution). Although polluted runoff is the most common source of water degradation in the Philippines and worldwide, it is much more difficult to control than pollution from specific sources.

As in most parts of the developing world, there is a limit to what government can do to protect and conserve water because of a lack of personnel, equipment and finances. This is especially true in remote, rural areas where rates of natural resource loss generally exceed local governments' attempts to remedy environmental problems. In particular, specific information of water conditions needed to establish management strategies is generally lacking.