Greenpeace to highlight water issue in Angat trek

MALOLOS CITY, Philippines – Greenpeace activists and scientists will spend eight days in the Angat watershed starting tomorrow to investigate the impact of the El Niño phenomenon on fresh water source and eventually call the attention of the presidential candidates to the problem.

Dubbed as Water Watch Project, the activity will involve boating and trekking expeditions by Mt. Everest climber Romeo Garduce and Greenpeace volunteers in the 53,000-hectare Angat watershed, the main source of Metro Manila’s potable water requirements and irrigation to Bulacan farmlands.

They will also tour Bulacan farms affected by floods spawned by howlers Ondoy and Pepeng last year and which are now experiencing the effects of El Niño.

During the last two days of the activity, Greenpeace will conduct a “source to tap” trek from Angat Dam to Metro Manila to call on the presidential candidates to include water issues in their campaign agenda.

According to Greenpeace, the year 2010 will become a turning point in how everyday life would be for Filipinos amid environmental challenges besetting the country.

“With devastating impacts from extreme weather events such as the current drought and last year’s super typhoons, the increasing necessity for quick and proper implementation of the Renewable Energy Act and the Climate Change Act, the increasing pressure from some quarters to develop nuclear power, and the failure of UN negotiations on climate change in Copenhagen last year, the next administration has its hands full with matters that impact greatly on how Filipinos will be living for the next six years and beyond,” Greenpeace said.

Aileen Camille Dimatatac, the group’s media campaigner, said they would like to highlight the issue of water “at this time of what could be the worst El Niño event being experienced in the country today.”