Press Release
September 2, 2009

Alarmed by shortage of clean drinking water
ANGARA CALLS FOR REVIEW AND REVAMP OF RPs WATER SYSTEM

Water which is a crucial factor in economic activities and in our daily lives is starting to be a limited resource, said Senator Edgardo J. Angara who couldn't emphasize more the need to conserve and use water more efficiently.

"With the advent of pollution resulting in global warming, which is merely jig of puzzles contributing in changing our oceans and increasing the level of acidity of our water bodies it is really alarming and threatening having water as a scarce resource," said Angara who chairs the Senate Committee on Science and Technology.

The Asian Development Bank warned back in 2007, the Philippine's clean water supply could be depleted by 2025 if we do not start cleaning up our act and invest more in water management and infrastructure.

At present, Metro Manila's population alone is estimated to be around 14 million and has a growing rate of 2.25 percent every year. Hence, by 2010 the population would roughly be around 15 million and would be consuming 338.75 liters of water per capita per day (LCPD), with 180 LPD accounted as per capita consumption and 158.75 LCPD as non-revenue water (NRW)--water lost through leaks or theft--which translates to 2,384.43 million liters per day (MLD). Demand for water will continue to rise and soon the supply might not be enough if we don't make necessary actions urgently to address and preempt this problem.[1]

"Today, technology evolves at its fastest rate in human history, and through innovation, technology now offers solutions to relieve water stress or the overuse of water that leads to the deterioration of both quantity and quality of water available and making water use more sustainable," added Angara.

"In United States they allocated US$16 billion for water-related projects in its stimulus package. IBM, despite the financial crisis, ventured into the global water solutions market, estimated to reach US$ 20 billion in five years. They are expecting the demand to remain strong, given that most economies battling the global economic slowdown packaged their respective economic stimuli with water programs and infrastructure investments," shares the concerned Senator.

"Our ailing water management and infrastructure system needs to be urgently reviewed and revamped. Every minute of inaction prolongs and compounds the problem of overexploitation and unsustainable use of water, a vital but increasingly limited resource," said Angara who challenged the Filipinos to do advanced research in water management and help solve this prevailing problem of the country.

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[1] Philippine Daily Inquirer, "Metro lacks water...", Neal Cruz,
http://opinion.inquirer.net/inquireropinion/columns/view/20090902-223124/Metro-lacks-water-AFP-lacks-bullets-and-shells, last accessed September 2, 2009.

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