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Thursday, March 16, 2006
Business leaders to rally support for potable water
By Charmaine Y. Rodriguez
Sun.Star Staff Reporter
Cebu's business groups are going to act on the water crisis and will meet in a few weeks to put up a united stand on the issue.
Members of the Cebu Business Club (CBC) agreed yesterday to get all local business groups together to act on the problem.
The decision came after a three-hour presentation on “Action Planning in Central Cebu” by Albert Nauta, project manager of the Integrated Water Resources Management (IWRM).
CBC president Tony Pineda said he is “optimistic” about getting the support of all business organizations, as well as socio-civic groups, such as the Rotary Club, so they could come up with solutions to Cebu’s water problems.
He hopes to gather all the groups in a meeting with Cebu Archbishop Ricardo Cardinal Vidal by the end of the month or the first week of April.
Nauta said the IWRM project, funded by the Netherlands Government, aims to ensure the continuous availability of water of good quality and at an affordable cost until 2030.
They are proposing, among others, a sewerage system, which ensures a healthier and sustainable environment over the period.
After conducting a study on several aspects of Cebu’s water supply, including its quality and the projected increase in consumption, for the last two years, the Dutch experts will leave this June in the hope that Cebu’s stakeholders could come up with an action plan and decide what projects to implement.
Nauta said there is a need for “a willingness and the capability to pay” for the projects and the “political will to address the problems that go beyond the term of (government) officials.”
He acknowledged that the term of local officials is only up to six years and he estimates the project to be implemented in over 10 years.
Nauta said the action plan will involve the development of resources, water demand reduction, protection of reserves, water governance and research and development.
He noted that desalination is the “most reliable scheme to increase resources.”
Even locators in the Mactan Economic Zone already expressed willingness to adopt the scheme.
However, the concern is if energy costs go up.
He also stressed the importance of protecting resources through watershed management, soil conservation and contour farming.
Nauta discussed environmental protection since their study reveals that aside from inadequate infrastructure and inefficient water distribution facilities, the shortage of water is due to deteriorating water sources caused by the degradation of watersheds.
Despite projections that the Metropolitan Cebu Water District will increase its coverage to 70 percent in 10 years and 80 percent in the next 15 years, consumption will increase because of the easy access to water, Nauta said.
For Bisaya stories from Cebu. Click here. (March 16, 2006 issue)
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