'Dangerous disconnect' in gov't management of water resources should stop—Ejercito
At A Glance
- Sen. Joseph Victor "JV" Ejercito warned that poor coordination among government agencies could undermine the country's capacity to manage its water supply.
Senate Deputy Majority Leader Joseph Victor “JV”Ejercito has called on government agencies to immediately address the “dangerous disconnect” in the management of water resources.
Ejercito said the lack of coordination between flood control projects and agencies with technical expertize in river basis and water systems has become disheartening.
“It is disheartening that even crucial flood control projects have proceeded without proper consultation with the DENR (Department of Environment and Natural Resources) who are the experts on where and how water flows,” Ejercito said during a recent hearing on the budget of the Department of Public Works and Highways (DPWH).
“Every rainy season, we have abundant water, yet when the dry season comes, there is scarcity. This should not happen if we plan and manage our water properly,” the senator stressed.
The senator warned that poor coordination among agencies could undermine the country’s capacity to manage its water supply. Moreover, many infrastructure projects focus mainly on diverting water to the sea, rather than storing or reusing it for the dry months.
He also warned that without coordination and science-based planning, anomalous projects would persist as decisions are left to individual discretion rather than technical guidance.
With this, Ejercito renewed his push for the creation of the proposed Department of Water Resources Management that would promote a more coherent and sustainable approach to both water conservation and flood control.
The proposed water agency will also help curb the occurrence of anomalous water infrastructure projects.
“This is not a laughing matter…Water is becoming scarcer every day worldwide,” the senator said.
“We need a full-fledged agency to prevent mismanagement, coordinate all projects, and safeguard this vital resource for every Filipino,” he reiterated.