21 July 2010

Water crisis in metropolis caused by watershed degradation, mismanagement, and corporate greed, environmental group says

"Without recognizing their responsibilities, government agencies MWSS, NAPOCOR, NRWB, and private water concessionaires, Maynilad and Manila Water are pinpointing each other as the culprit of worsening water crisis in the metropolis. Primarily blaming Mother Nature for failing to provide adequate rainfall, these institutions try to cover up their record of environmental degradation, mismanagement, and corporate greed as the root cause of the current water crisis," said Clemente Bautista of environmental group Kalikasan People's Network for the Environment (Kalikasan PNE).

"The Angat Watershed Reservation, if properly managed, could provide adequate water to the Angat Dam all year round. Water storage and retention capacity of the Angat watershed is decreasing as a result of poor protection of and continuing environmental degradation, such as widespread deforestation and massive soil erosion, in the watershed," explained Catherine Abon, a hydrologist from University of the Philippines National Institute of Geological Sciences and a member of the activist scientist group AGHAM.

The Angat Watershed Reservation has a total area of 62,309 hectares in two sub-catchments areas. The effective drainage area of the Reservation is 56,800 hectares. The National Power Corporation (NAPOCOR) which has been vested by law for the complete jurisdiction, control and regulation of Angat Watershed. On the NAPOCOR website, only eight (8) personnel are directly monitoring and protecting the vast Angat watershed. The NAPOCOR is also mainly responsible for the generation of hydroelectric from the Angat Dam.

"In spite of NAPOCOR raking in billions in operation profits, the watershed under their direct management suffers from a dismal budget allocation for watershed protection. 97% of the water supply used by Maynilad and Manila Water cames from the Angat reservoir, yet they do not pay anything for their water use and are not obliged to allocate part of their income to the Angat watershed's conservation and protection," Abon asserted.

"On the dam water supply side, NAPOCOR dictates the water volume to be released in the Angat Dam for energy production. This leads to infighting between NAPOCOR and private water concessionaires over the water releases of Angat Dam," Bautista explained.

"Water concessionaires are also to blame for the lack of water supply. Thirteen years after the privatization of our water facilities and in spite of water rates increasing by as much as 300%, Maynilad and Manila Water dismally failed to curb inefficiency and water loss which amounted to 33% of total raw water supply from Angat Dam. This loss is more than enough to supply the water needs of Metro Manila residents and avert a water crisis even during a period of drought ," Bautista expounded.

Metro Manila needs around 1,300 million liters of water per day (MLD). Based on the actual production of Maynilad and Manila Water, 3,682 MLD were produced in 2008 which is more than enough to meet the needs of Metro Manila and nearby provinces," Bautista added.

"These facts mean that private control of our water resources and facilities, coupled with the negligence of government agencies, are the main culprits for the current water crisis. But we should expect much a worse water crisis in the coming years as the new Aquino administration is geared towards the privatization of Angat Dam," Bautista ended. ###