The Department of Environment and Natural Resources (DENR) and the Department of Public Works and Highways (DPWH) are jointly conducting research for water impounding systems as well as flood control structures as mitigation approaches to climate change and its impacts amid the flooding experienced in many areas of the country brought by Typhoon Egay and Habagat.
"We are looking at our respective budgets and our programs to see how we can design multipurpose infrastructure to actually serve the different needs of agriculture, power, and water for domestic use and for industry," Environment Secretary Maria Antonia Yulo-Loyzaga said on Wednesday.
Loyzaga added that the DENR is refocusing the government’s water security strategy to maximize the utilization of the country’s water resources.
Water infrastructure that serves several purposes for economic, social, and environmental activities includes dams, reservoirs, sewage treatment facilities, related irrigation canals, and water delivery networks.
In order to minimize flooding in neighboring and low-lying communities, Rogelio Singson, a former DPWH secretary, suggested building a 200-hectare water impounding area in Pampanga's Candaba swamp.
Loyzaga also said that the DENR is closely collaborating with other concerned government organizations, including the National Economic and Development Authority, the Local Water Utilities Administration, and the Metropolitan Waterworks and Sewerage System, in order to construct public water supply facilities for multiple uses.
In addition, she said that the DENR and the Department of Finance are working together to determine how the government can encourage public-private partnerships for large-scale water supply and other projects that can deliver water to areas that need it most.
According to Loyzaga, the World Bank has indicated an interest in investing in multifunctional infrastructure to assist sectors that are seriously impacted by climate change.
The DENR said that aside from multipurpose water infrastructure, the government is considering other water sources and wastewater recycling as the demand for a stable and consistent water supply rises in response to rising demand and the threat of El Niño.
