IN celebration of World Water Day, an international yearly observance celebrated every March 22, the Metropolitan Waterworks and Sewerage System, with its concessionaires Manila Water, Maynilad and Luzon Clean Water, launched activities that underlined the importance of watershed conservation and the protection and care of the country’s natural resources.
With this year’s theme, Nature for Water where the community explores how nature can be used properly to overcome the water challenges of this century, the kick-off activity at the La Mesa Nature Reserve, in Novaliches, Quezon City on March 18, began with an orientation and lecture about the value of forests and watersheds.
This was followed by stretching exercises, and a 5-km Nature Walk at the La Mesa Nature Reserve.
Other activities included an inter-agency sungka tournament sponsored by Maynilad, and other games such as a Nature Treasure Hunt, and Pinoy Henyo, nature version.
“Deforestation has greatly affected our country’s watersheds,” said MWSS Administrator Reynaldo Velasco.
He said “You and I are aware that watersheds need trees to absorb rainwater which channels it into streams, rivers and eventually dams where human communities source fresh water.
“With today’s celebration of World Water Day, we hope that many more people become aware of how we need to conserve and protect our watersheds and our most basic resource, water.”
Of the 143 critical watersheds in the country, six of these watersheds that impact greatly on the water supply of Metro Manila are the Umiray, Angat, Ipo, La Mesa, Marikina and Laguna Lake watersheds. Umiray Watershed Reservation covers an area of 16,722.75 ha.; Angat Watershed Reservation, 55,709.10 ha.; La Mesa Watershed Reservation 2,659 ha.; Laguna de Bay 388,000 ha.; Upper Marikina River Basin 28,000 ha.; and Ipo Dam at 7,000 ha.
Rapid deforestation in these watersheds has led to soil erosion and siltation of lakes. To help reduce greenhouse gas emissions as a result of deforestation and forest degradation, increase carbon sink capacity, and improve water flow regulation, watershed programs have to be implemented.
