Cagayan de Oro City--- The water districts were urged to simultaneously conduct tree planting activities to help boost the holding as well as recharging capacities especially of the country's vital forest and watershed areas as an initial, concrete step in their commitment to promote integrated resources management for sustainable water supply.

Engineer Proceso T. Domingo, Chairman of the Board of Trustees of the Local Water Utilities Administration (LWUA) and a presidential adviser on infrastructure development issued the call in his speech before officials and members of the Philippine Association of Water Districts (PAWD) who are holding their national convention that opens Wednesday, February 6, at the Pryce Hotel here with the theme, " Water Districts Enhancing Integrated Water Resource Management for Sustainable Water Supply."

Domingo asked the water districts to plant trees, preferably the Narra, the Philippine National Tree, which he said cannot be seen much of lately. "I believe you can start your crusade with the simple act of planting a tree, a Narra tree", he told the water district officials in attendance.

"If all water districts would simultaneously plant even just a Narra tree nationwide, you will not only be doing a symbolic act but will be sending a resounding message to the nation that you are determined to take the first step towards bigger and grander efforts at integrating the management of our water resources of which our forests and watershed areas are a vital and indispensable part", Domingo said.

Domingo hailed the water districts in their advocacy of promoting integrated water resource management in view of the threat of global climate change and the pressures being exerted by expanding population and industrial growth. "Integrated Water Resources Management is an approach that has evolved out of the realization and recognition that our natural water sources and resources in this planet is not infinite and not inexhaustible," he said, " Therefore, everyone, most especially the major players and stakeholders in the water sector have to coordinate and get their acts together to ensure the protection, preservation, sustainable development and proper use and conservation of these sources and resources."

"Integration is indeed the challenge for all of us in this sector for we have to make every drop of water count now if we are to avoid the days when we may have to count the drops of water we can coax out of our remaining water sources and resources", Domingo stressed.

Domingo said the country can no longer afford losing much of precious freshwater to leakages and pilferages, to outmoded and inefficient irrigation practices, washed out to the seas as flashfloods due to the deteriorated and impaired holding capacities of the forest and watersheds and tainted by domestic and industrial pollutants due to the lack of wasterwater and sewage treatment facilities and the persistent bad habit of dumping garbage, including cancer-causing chemical and industrial wastes into the nearest waterways.

The Public Affairs Department 3/F LWUA Bldg., Katipunan Ave, Balara, Quezon City / E-mail: publicaffairs@ lwua.gov.ph

Domingo also noted the decline of water table in many parts of the country due to over-abstraction of groundwater that also poses the danger of saltwater intrusion into the aquifers or natural underground freshwater reserves.

"It is indeed gratifying to learn that the PAWD and the individual water districts are lending themselves to the cause of trying to stop and reverse the alarming trends and conditions in the water and water supply sectors of our country", Domingo said.

c February 06, 2008