MWSS cites importance of watershed protection on Water Day celebration

At the World Water Day last March 22, the Metropolitan Waterworks and Sewerage System, together with its concessionaires Manila Water, Maynilad and Luzon Clean Water, has launched a series of activities that stresses 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, Novaliches, Quezon City on March 18, 2018 began with an orientation and lecture about the value of forests and watersheds, followed by stretching exercises, and a 5-km Nature Walk at the La Mesa Nature Reserve.

Other activities included an interagency 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 V. Velasco. “You and I are aware that watersheds need trees in order 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.

As part of its watershed management, MWSS launched on June 23, 2017 the Annual Million Tree Challenge (AMTC), a reforestation project to benefit the six critical watersheds – where multipartite stakeholders pledged some 1.8 million trees. Together with the Department of Environment and Natural Resources (DENR), MWSS also embarked on the development of a Ten-year Work and Financial Plan for the Ipo Watershed Reservation that started in 2014. MWSS is also actively involved in the La Mesa Watershed Reservation Multi-Sectoral Management Council.

MWSS concessionaires Maynilad and Manila Water also have their respective programs on watershed management. Maynilad’s Plant for Life originally aimed to reforest the watersheds in Angat, Ipo and La Mesa, is now a multi-site reforestation and afforestation program that includes the areas along the coastlines of Laguna Lake and Manila Bay. Manila Water, meanwhile, has Adopt-A-Watershed program which has reforested over 149 hectares in the Ipo watershed area.

Maynilad President and CEO Ramoncito Fernandez said, “We hope to encourage more partners to join us in this effort.”

For his part, Manila Water President and CEO Ferdinand Dela Cruz added, “We are continuously implementing various watershed management initiatives in collaboration with key stakeholders.”

World Water Day is coordinated by UN-Water, the UN’s inter-agency collaboration mechanism for all freshwater related issues – in collaboration with governments and partners.