MCWD ok with water catchments

CEBU, Philippines - The Metropolitan Cebu Water District does not oppose the suggestion of the Department of Environment and Natural Resources-7 to construct water catchments in upstream portions to serve as immediate solution to flood disasters and to enable irrigation in downstream areas during the dry season.

MCWD OIC General Manager Ernie Delco yesterday told reporters they do not have problems with the suggestion but stressed that should local government units or private individuals and institutions decide to adopt the same, proper maintenance must be employed.

Delco pointed out that the absence of maintenance is tantamount to throwing away money because de-siltation costs much.

“Instead of causing flooding, the rainwater can be converted into potable water,” Delco said.

State environment authorities stressed that the construction of catchments or small water impounding dams or SWIDS addressed the “new normal” especially when heavy rains are being dumped along with a typhoon or enhanced southwest monsoon or “habagat.”

This will reportedly make the communities more resilient and adaptable to the changing weather, as well as critically be considered most especially by local government units, DENR said.

 The agency further urged households to put up a cistern to confine the rain waters.

 DENR spokesperson Eddie Llamedo said they are seriously revisiting the issuance of Environment Compliance Certificate, one of the requirements in obtaining permits for development projects.

 “Requiring the construction of catchments and cisterns has been there. But this time, considering the current situation with the flooding as it rains hard, we will be look into more strict implementation,” Llamedo said.

Meanwhile, the geohazards assessment of the DENR’s Mines and Geosciences Bureau showed about five barangays in Cebu City are considered most hazardous to flooding, including Kasambagan, Kinasang-an, Labangon, Mabolo, Bonbon, and Cebu City downtown areas, as well as along the Guadalupe River.

Seven barangays in Mandaue City were also identified, including Subangdaku, Mantuyong, Umapad, Opao, Alang-alang, Guizo, and Pakna-an.

According to statistics, about 17 million people in the Philippines have no access to safe drinking water and over 15 million still have no access to electricity.

In a related development, Montejo urged the public to help in protecting the country’s water bodies, as well as in planting trees that play an important role in sustaining the flow of our rivers and creeks.

About 53 percent of the pollution load of rivers comes from domestic wastes, he said.

Aside from pollution, other reasons Montejo cited for the looming water shortage are over-extraction of groundwater, dwindling supply of surface water due to neglect of watersheds and over-exploitation of forest resources. He also cited climate change as a big threat to the world’s water resources.

He opined that trees provide the lasting solution to climate change as trees not only store carbon in their trunks and branches, and gives out oxygen from its leaves to sustain life on earth during the process of photosynthesis.

“Trees moderate water flows by absorbing large amount of water during heavy rainfall and releasing it gradually during the dry season,” he said. – (FREEMAN)