The creation of a Water Resources Management Office (WRMO) as transitory body pending the creation of a Water Resource Department is a welcome first step in improving the country’s water supply management, according to the European Chamber of Commerce of the Philippines (ECCP).
This relates to the approval by President Ferdinand Marcos Jr. of the creation of the WRMO at the Department of Environment and Natural Resources (DENR) as response to environmental challenges and to manage water resources via a concerted government effort.
The ECCP said the government should approach the country’s water resource planning using the Integrated Water Resource Management (IWRM) framework.
ECCP said the IWRM is a globally-recognized framework based on the idea that water issues should be approached in a holistic manner due to the interdependence of the use of finite water resources and guide countries on their journey to water security.
“We remain committed to working with the government and other stakeholders in resolving the current water-related issues in the country. The ECCP, together with its Environment and Water Committee, strongly advocates for regular multi-stakeholder engagements to be institutionalized in order to allow exchange of insights, facilitate coordination and come up with effective solutions on water-related issues,” the group said.
The ECCP also urges government to establish a multistakeholder advisory panel under the WRMO with representation from the private sector, academe and civil society “to serve as an additional soundboard in the crafting and implementation of policies, programs and projects for the water sector in line with IWRM’s principle of participatory governance.”
The group said such will help promote more synergy in public-private partnerships as it leads and encourages the establishment of investments, technology, benchmarking and sharing of best practices resulting in the improvement of the water sector.
But even with the support of the WRMO, the ECCP said there is still a need for government to come up with the long overdue creation of an overseeing body for water resource.
“We believe that having an executive water department tasked to harmonize and monitor all water-related efforts will provide strategic direction which would not only help in solving water scarcity in the country but would also aid in the establishment and operation of businesses as well as attract new investors. We hope that the current interest from the government will be sustained and bring the much-needed changes in the water sector into fruition,” ECCP said.
Last October, DENR Secretary Antonia Yulo-Loyzaga said he leads the crafting of a roadmap for water security in the country seen as basis in the creation of an umbrella body that will manage all water-related issues in the country.
