DENR asks public to keep water catchment facility

CEBU, Philippines - The Department of Environment and Natural Resources-7 is urging the public to have an effective water catchment facility to conserve water.

Regional executive director Isabelo Montejo said that the public should help conserve water even if the Philippines is abundant of it. Montejo said the public should practice “catching” and “keeping” the water through water impounding systems at the household level and even in business establishments.

Montejo underscored the need for the continued protection, rehabilitation, conservation and governance of the country’s rivers and river basins.

He said that people should stop throwing water away by the second as data shows the country has about 146 billion cubic meters of water available and given the demand for its use with no apparent measures to conserve them, at any given time, it will threaten its abundance.

The rapidly growing population resulting in increased economic activity and water pollution are putting stress on water resources, prompting the DENR to call for action amid a threat of scarcity of fresh water. —(FREEMAN)