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| Water source at Biak-Na-Bato National Park in San Miguel, Bulacan. DB |
MALOLOS
CITY—The Philippines ranked ninth of 11 Southeast Asian countries in terms of
total actual renewable water resources per capita, according to United Nations
(UN) data.
This
came as the UN led the World Water Day on March 22.
The
UN report also showed that among 11 ASEAN countries, the Philippines also
ranked ninth in dam capacity per capita; fourth in population with access to
improved water sources; and fifth in percentage of population with access to
improved sanitation.
The
report defined the total actual renewable water resources as the maximum
theoretical yearly amount of water actually available for a country at a given
moment (TARWR) per capita.
It
also said that “it takes into consideration the long-term average annual flow
of rivers and recharge of aquifers generated from endogenous precipitation, the
flow of bordering rivers and lakes, and the water inflow and outflow secured by
treaties.”
In
this category, the Philippines ranked ninth with only 121.32 cubic meters per
inhabitant per year.
It
is way behind Lao Democratic Republic with 54,565; Cambodia with 34,061; Brunei Darrusallam with 21,684; and Malaysia
with 20,752 cubic meters per inhabitant per year.
The
Philippines also ranked ninth behind 10 other Asean countries in dam capacity
per capita.
The
UN defined the above category as the total cumulative storage capacity of all
dams in a country per capita.
They
stressed that the dam capacity indicates the sum of the theoretical initial
capacities of all dams, which does not change with time.
However,
the UN report noted that the amount of water stored within any dam is likely
less than the capacity due to silting and due to the fact that few dams operate
at capacity.
UN
report showed that despite presence of large dams in the Philippines, its
capacity per capita is only 70.76 cubic meter per inhabitant.
This
record made the Philippines just above Singapore with 15.16; and Timor Leste
which showed no record in UN report.
The
Democratic Republic of Lao again topped this category with 1,287 cubic meter
per capita followed by Thailand with 1,117; Malaysia with 848.70; and Myanmar
with 329.50.
For
population’s access to improved water sources, the Philippines ranked fourth with 92 percent of population.
It is behind Singapore and Malaysia,both with 100 percent; followed by Thailand (96) and Vietnam with 95.
The
UN report defined the category as “the percentage of the population who use any
of the following types of water supply for drinking: piped water, public tap,
borehole or pump, protected well, protected spring or rainwater. Improved water
sources do not include vendor-provided water, bottled water, tanker trucks or
unprotected wells and springs.”
For
percentage of population with access to improved sanitation, the Philippines
ranked fifth with 74 percent; behind Singapore (100 percent),Thailand and Malaysia
(96),Brunei (94) and Myanmar with 76.
Access
to improved sanitation is defined as “the proportion of the urban and rural
population with access to facilities that hygienically separate human excreta
from human, animal and insect contact.” Dino Balabo