A water crisis in this highland region is a disaster waiting to happen.
City Disaster Risk Reduction and Management Officer III Louie Glenn Lardizabal said the water scarcity that has perennially been bugging Baguio City can become a disaster that will affect the residents’ overall well-being if no sustainable solutions are done to address it.
Saying water scarcity is also a DRRM concern, Lardizabal said there is a need for residents to adopt water conservation and preservation measures and for other stakeholders to look for ways by which water can flow back to nature.
Lardizabal said without serious water preservation efforts and interventions, the water scarcity will lead to other concerns, such as health problems.
“We are waiting for a disaster to happen if we do not practice conservation and implement water preservation measures,” he said.
Baguio, which is one of the areas in the country that receives the highest amount of rainfall, is also one of the areas that continue to struggle with water shortage.
The problem is compounded by the influx of visitors during peak season.
Lardizabal said with water crisis, people’s health can be compromised due to lack of safe drinking water.
“Without clean water, how can you prepare and serve clean food?” he added.
Lardizabal said nature-based solutions as adopted by other countries are also among the cheaper alternatives to arresting the water crisis.
Instead of paving waterways with concrete, Lardizabal said it is best to leave the base unpaved to allow water absorption.
In concrete jungles like Baguio, the reabsorption of water is less possible, which also makes it difficult for aquifers to recharge.
“There’s a need to implement policies like requiring building owners to integrate rainwater harvesting facilities in their structures,” he said.
At the household levels, the city government is encouraging residents to recycle water; shorten their shower time; and use tubs, basins, or pails when washing clothes.
Water crisis is defined as the lack of fresh water resources to meet the standard water demand.
The Baguio Water District reported it can meet the average daily demand of 42,087 cubic meters with its average daily supply capacity of 47,865 cubic meters.
The BWD has 46,000 service connections.
Globally, the Unesco reported two billion people do not have access to safe drinking water and 3.6 billion people lack access to safely managed sanitation. – Jane B. Cadalig
