Fedelin, Reago P. Fundamentals of Agricultural Engineering Engr.

Jose Carlo Dizon

BSA 3-2 Laboratory Exercise # 3 03/08/2018

Different Water Resources in the Philippines

I. Introduction

Water resources are bodies of water that supply our agricultural, industrial, recreational
and environmental activities, in this, water is essential in the accomplishment or development
of a specific sector of the economy. Currently, gradual increase in population and also because
of Climate change becomes a great factor for this resource’s depletion. This is why in the
Philippines the Philippine Statistics Authority, GREENPEACE made a means to measure
and account every available water in the country and from where these water sources are
available.

II. Objectives
(1) To account for the available water resources in the Philippines
(2) Determine what are the Water Resources in the Philippines
(3) Know the status of the Water Resources

III. Methodology

The use of research sources/portals are utilized such as libraries/Journals/Books/Internet

sources.

IV. Results and Discussion

According to GREENPEACE, water supply of the Philippines include rainfall, surface

water resources, i.e. rivers, lakes, and reservoirs, and groundwater resources having 18 major
river basins and 421 principal river basins as defined by the National Water Regulatory Board
(NWRB). Where each are utilized differently on fields of Fisheries, Agriculture etc.
As a tropical country, the Philippines collect rainfall as runoff for about 1,000 – 2,000 mm
and is stored through natural topographies in more than 471 principle river basins and 59 natural
lakes and numeral small streams. Some are stored as ground water.
 Based from Philippines Environment Monitor 2013, on twelve (12) regions of the
country variations in Groundwater Potential (GP) and Surface water potential (SWP) are
compared that resulted in some regions having high resources and some having limited
resources of water from the two water resources but tells that 14 percent of the water resource
comes from the ground water.
Generally, water resource comes from the Surface water gathered on natural bodies above
the land and Ground water is a sort of natural reservoir composed of wells beneath the ground
that are harvested thru pumps.
There are different fields that are in need of this water resource but the biggest demand of
water comes from the agricultural sector. Consumption of irrigated water is supplied to produce
food for humanity but problems of improper consumption of man causes shortage of water
disregarding the replenishment of this resource adding to this shortage is the unstable climate
or climate change greatly evaporating available water.
Through these changes, the countries’ researchers analyzed and formulated means of
reducing this problem creating laws in the proper use of water, producing data to monitor the
incidence of change in temperature to the available water resource.

V. Conclusion

There are prime sources, the Ground water and Surface water both are relatively necessary
in the development of the country but is gradually misused resulting to gradual depletion of
this resource. Currently, the country is facing shortage of water because of changes in the
climate and improper use or utilization of the water resource. This shortage is gradual
increasing in the Philippines because of the population growth but less means of conservation.

VI. References

GREENPEACE. October 2017. The state of the water resources in the Philippines.
Greenpeace Southeast Asia. Retrieved from:
https://www.greenpeace.org/seasia/ph/Global/seasia/report/2007/10/the-state-of-water-in-
the-phil.pdf

Philippine Statistics Authority. 2016. Philippine Water Resource Account. Retrieved from:
https://psa.gov.ph/content/water-resources