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Engr. Dexter Lo, founding director of the Engineering Research Center at Xavier University in Cagayan de Oro, talks about various factors that could affect the supply of water during the forum on water security plan organized by the provincial government of Misamis Oriental at Amaya View Wednesday, March 1. (Jigger Jerusalem | MT)
Mindanaotoday.com | MisOr to draft water security plan
By: Jigger Jerusalem
CAGAYAN DE ORO CITY – Factors such as population increase, unregulated land use, erratic weather pattern and rising temperature brought by climate change that could further deplete the country’s dwindling water supply have prompted the provincial government of Misamis Oriental to draw up a plan that could mitigate these threats to this vital natural resource.
Citing studies made by his team and from existing literature, Engr. Dexter Lo, founding director of the Engineering Resource Center at Xavier University, said that based on projections the northern part of region 10, specifically Cagayan de Oro and Misamis Oriental, could experience massive water shortage due to those factors in the next few years.
In his presentation, Lo also cited that the agriculture sector could also impact the water situation.
“It is estimated that agriculture takes up about 75% to 80% of the total consumptive use of water in the country,” Lo told participants at the forum which mainly discussed about the formulation of the provincial integrated water resources plan and sanitation of Misamis Oriental held at a mountain resort here Wednesday, March 1.
Aside from Lo, other resource persons from the academe and private sector also shared their expertise to the audience, which mainly consisted of local government officials.
John Venice Ladaga, provincial administrator, said the forum was the first step towards attaining a comprehensive plan for water security in the province, taking into consideration the effects of climate change.
Ladaga said the provincial government is actually preparing for the influx of new businesses and housing projects in Misamis Oriental.
“Our water situation in the province is still not that alarming but we have to be ready, and water security is needed as more establishments and factories are expected to operate in the near future,” he added.
In fact, Ladaga said, this year Gov. Peter Unabia has approved the allocation of P400 million for the province’s waterworks projects at the barangay level, with more than 20 villages to benefit from this funding.
He added that the Unabia administration has also made it a point to not just locate new water sources but to adopt sustainable programs that would properly manage the province’s water system.
After Wednesday’s meeting, a core group will craft a development plan that will eventually become a local statute which will be implemented in the entire province.
In a Facebook post, Unabia said, “With the continued unification of efforts to deliver quality and sustainable social and health services, we initiated the Formulation of the Provincial Integrated Water Resources Security Plan and Sanitation, a convergence of all Water Security and Sanitation stakeholders which includes the Local Chief Executives of the Local Government Units and Water Districts of the province, National Line Agencies, Private Sector and Academe to discuss and plan significant development and challenges regarding water security and sanitation.”
For her part, Dr. Rachel Beja, United State Agency for International Development’s Safe Water advisor, all the local government units involved must base their plan on scientific data.
“You can’t plan without evidence… or you will only make it worse,” Beja, one of the resource speakers, said, adding that there should be a synergy among LGU departments to the water security plan to work. (MT)
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