A Sitio’s thirst finally quenched

Davao de Oro Province--- Chasing the right spot in a drying river for a source of water is an everyday challenge for Rosalie, a resident of Purok-Gemelina, Sitio Lawaan, Kingking, Pantukan, Davao de Oro.

When water runs out, most of them opted to transfer to higher parts of the river’s trail, carrying pales and basin to do laundry and heavy containers holding fresh water that would quench their thirst and aid them to finish daily household chores.

“Pasalamat mi nga naa nami tubig dire, kay ug muadto mi ug sapa nga layo kaayo sa tanan, mag sige mi ug balon, usahay mag gukod pa mi sa tubig kay mahubsan naman.” said Rosalie Chiokiet.

More or less four months since the PAMANA (Payapa at Masaganang Pamayanan) started their project to construct and improve the water system of the community, the long-wait for a good source of potable water is over.

On July 16, 2020 the Blessing and Turn-Over Ceremony of the Water System was held in the community, formally giving them what they need and deserve. The project was made possible through the coordination of the Provincial Local Government of Davao de Oro and Municipal LGU of Pantukan.

With the new water system, about 90 households in Sitio Gemilina will now benefit from the project, giving them the comfort, making chores easier, thereby eradicating difficulty in getting a good source of water.

Sitio Lawaan is one of the beneficiary in extending development interventions to isolated, hard to reach and conflict-affected communities under the national government’s convergence program, the PAMANA which partners with implementing agencies, ensuring that there will be no communities left behind.

For the residents of the sitio, the fulfillment of their hardship brought a big impact in their lives. The importance of water is eternal as thousands have lived without love, but no one without water.

(Jasteen Abella, Information Division Davao de Oro)

The Global Challenge

My column in Businessweek Mindanao

If I think about this topic, peace is first in my mind. But there is still another challenge. Worldwide population is expected to grow to nearly 10 billion by 2050 - but agricultural lands won't be able to follow the same pace. The problem is clear: something has to change. The question is what.

Sustainable food for everyone? Food - besides water!

The world's population continues to grow - but the Earth's surface doesn't. And already one in nine people around the world suffers from hunger. Although fertility levels worldwide are declining, life expectancy is increasing - and therefore, the global population keeps growing. The United Nations estimates that the world's population is increasing by more than 90 million people every year.

Forecasts offer a nonstop rise: The global population is expected to reach 8.6 billion in 2030, 9.8 billion in 2050 and 11.2 billion by 2100. So allow me to ask: How can we feed all these billions without destroying the earth? And, if we take a closer look, we might experiences ourselves: the earth is already destroyed at many places.

Although it's a dire picture, but let's face it: the situation is not as disastrous as it might seem. Food is not lacking - it is just poorly managed. I got the idea for this post after having watched an interview with Ralf Südhoff, head of the World Food Program of the United Nations in Berlin some time ago. He said: "Today, we would be able to feed many more people than we do". "But we waste too much of the food we produce, and we lack efficient production - particularly in Africa".

Forgotten are many rural areas. I agree with Südhoff who says that population growth is not the key cause of hunger, but rather a lack of efficiency in managing our resources. Indeed, farmers in rural areas of some African and Asian countries still lack the necessary means to maximize crop yields, misusing vast areas of land.

Imagine, the productivity of existing arable lands could be doubled, experts believe. And  experts agree that productivity could be increased through very simple means. Allow me to quote again Ralf Südhoff: "Efficiency could be doubled or tripled in many  countries by providing basic means such as training, credits and land rights".

According to Valentin Thurn, director of the German documentary "10 Billion- Whats on your plate?", farmers in rural areas are the most affected by hunger - and the ones most commonly left behind.  He believes, and he is "deadly" correct,  smallholders should get integrated into the modernization processes - until now, only limited to big industrialized farms.

While it won't necessarily be easy to feed 10 billion people sustainable, it is possible, experts believe.

"We are producing at such a pace that the natural cycle cannot recover fast enough," Klingholz said. "And this is mainly rich countries' fault."  Global agriculture currently produces some 4,000 calories per capita per day - the double of what each person needs. Sad to say but it's also true: we are already producing enough for 9 to 12 billion people - but we discard a third of the harvest worldwide!

Farmers worldwide are adapting to climate change. Yes, there is climate change! The World Food Program estimates that under climate change scenarios, the risk of malnutrition for children will increase 20 percent by 2050 - meaning 24 million more children could soon suffer from it. Industrialized countries are therefore even more responsible for mitigating the effects of climate change. Südhoff believes this and so do I and many others on this globe.

Spending money like water?

MON, SEPTEMBER 4, 2017 BY THE MINDANAO DAILY MIRROR LEAVE A COMMENT

IN MY OPINIONKlaus Doring

Some people have money to burn! Oh yes, just the opposite: they are spending it like water. Every time I observe them, I feel that their money is going down their drain. Yes, “money talks.”

The more money you have, the more you might become avaricious. Every time, we have to dig deeper into our pockets, we might longing to be like those people, who don’t see the difference between a 500 or 1,000 bill.

Oh yes, money matters! I am really not rich! I also wouldn’t hesitate to say, that I would like to be so! Being rich means having wealth! Wealth is abundance, opulence and affluence. Affluences become quickly influence. Dyed-in-the-wool millionaires or even multi-millionaires over lose their view of reality many times. They can’t even see the horizon, which could be the demarcation of their real estate. They even don’t recognize the wonderful flowers growing and blooming in their gardens.

Money calms down! Sure. No doubts at all! We all need an income to survive for our daily needs – and, maybe, a little bit more. Many of us struggle through life and work like slaves for a pitiful daily minimum wage. If you’re rich, you might be on the top. But believe me, once you are on top, you will have some unwelcome, mostly acceptable companions such as loneliness, so-called friends (!), parasites and freeloaders.

These companions will let you scream in pain, because you will start missing things, you have expected from them: real friendship, love, care, comprehension, understanding, sympathy, appreciation…. remember such things? Miss such things?

Yes, money can give you a wonderful sleep, and you might stay in one of the most luxurious beds – but being awake, while your poorest neighbor sleeps better and more peaceful on the floor. There are many sayings about money. I like this one: Money can buy books but not brains. You might study a lot and get a lot of experiences; it’s just a pity, if you don’t use them at the right time for the right people in your surroundings.

Money can buy food but no appe-tite. Who reaps the benefits of it? A full to overflowing store room will never be satisfying, if sour free-loaders join your table and push away your real friends.

Our last earthly dress has no more pockets. The remembrance on how we acted and lived together with our fellow creatures will remain forever. With money, we might be able to let the devil dance. But, money alone doesn’t make us happy. Money kills more people and friend-ships than a cudgel.

The more money, the more problems. And, how many times happened this: that’s throwing good money after bad. Do we really need all these things we bought without thinking about?

The more money, the more we have to pay and the higher our bills become….

A world without water?

TUE, AUGUST 30, 2016 BY THE MINDANAO DAILY MIRROR LEAVE A COMMENT

IN MY OPINIONKlaus Doring

As the world marked again the UN’s World Water Day last March 2016, global residents are still struggling to access fresh water. Water scarcity has long been a problem. But climate change, a growing global population and economic growth are putting the natural resource under even more stress. A world without water? Sounding impossible and crazy, while in some parts of the world, especially in Asia, the monsoon rain keeps large areas land-under.

One example of many: since the late 1950's, the Aral lake in Uzbekistan, once the world’s fourth largest, has been rapidly shrinking. Water that had flowed into the lake was diverted to provide irrigation for Uzbekistan’s ‘white gold’, cotton plantations spread across the arid region, while hydro power facilities and reservoirs across Central Asia have also taken their toll.

It is one of the major environmental disasters of the last half century with animal and plant life in the region dying out as a result. But it is not the only place where water has been disappearing. Bolivia’s second-largest lake, Poopó has all but vanished, with severe consequences for both wildlife and people.

Scarcity of water all over the world is becoming an increasing problem. And it’s only going to get worse, said Richard Connor, editor-in-chief of the United Nation’s World Water Development Report 2016 (WWDR), released last month.

“Water has already been relatively scarce,” he explained in German Television. “It’s just that populations are growing and economies are developing, so demand for water keeps increasing, but the quantity of water that is available does not.”

More than 70 percent of the freshwater that is taken from natural re-sources is used in agriculture, for food crops like wheat and rice, but also for plants like cotton. Energy production ac-counts for 15 percent of water usage and another 5 percent is for household usage.

But with the population expected to grow – the WWDR predicts that by 2050 there will be 9.3 billion people, 33 percent more than in 2011 – the world’s water resources are likely to come under increasing pressure. Regions like Central Asia, the Arab world, parts of China, India and the western United States, already suffer from a physical shortage of water. But storage and infra-structure enable countries to collect water and keep it ready in times of drought.

“The magnitude will be proportional to its vulnerability,” said Connor. “Developed countries are much less vulnerable because they have the storage capacity – dams and reservoirs.” But in the developing world, water scarcity is having the greatest impact. There are already more than 1.8 billion people, who only have access to water that is not safe for human consumption, according to the WWDR. And even in areas where there is an abundance of water, like in Sub-Saharan Africa, economic factors mean that people are not getting enough access to the natural resource.

“The water resource is there, but it doesn’t get to the fields, the factories and the cities because infrastructure and institutions are lacking there,” said Connor, adding that crops there are rain-fed because water cannot be used for irrigation. “When there is a drought, like in Ethiopia, they have serious problems that lead to food crises.”

Without improved efficiency measures, agriculture is expected to need 20 percent more water in the coming years to feed the growing population. And let’s face it again: climate is expected to exacerbate the problem, with some countries becoming drier and hotter, while others experience extreme weather in the form of storms and flooding.

A world with less water translates into hardship for unknown millions. Solution must be find. Or is it already too late?

It is only better water management that will help deal with increasing water scarcity, according to experts worldwide. .

Better irrigation techniques that don’t see water wasted through runoff from flooded fields are one way of saving the resource. But any changes in measures would have to be introduced by individual governments and in some cases individual farmers and other stakeholders.

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Email: doringklaus @gmail.com or follow me in Facebook or Twitter or visit www.germanex patinthephilippines.blogspot. com or www.klausdoringsclassicalmusic.blogspot.com.

Water Challenged Baguio Finds Relief in Rainwater Collectors

By: Vincent Cabreza, Philippine Daily Inquirer

THE BAGUIO rain basin at Mt. Santo Tomas in Tuba, Benguet province, collects rain which becomes the city’s source of water during the dry season. EV ESPIRITU/INQUIRER NORTHERN LUZON

BAGUIO CITY, Philippines—Rain won’t go away from the summer capital, at least not in the coming years, with or without El Niño.

It’s because half of the city’s population harvests rain for domestic use, according to a study by the University of the Philippines Baguio.

UP sought to measure the city’s water resiliency since it annually receives the highest amount of rainfall but rations its potable water, said political science professor Alejandro Ciencia, the study’s team leader.

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The city’s water distributor, Baguio Water District (BWD), operates 57 deep wells, which are insufficient to supply the 61,727 cubic meters of water required daily by 317,200 consumers.

BWD also operates a rain basin at Mt. Santo Tomas, where water is drawn during the dry season.

No other rain basins are in use, however, because of the steep cost and because areas suitable as rain collection facilities are now densely populated, according to a BWD report.

It said runoff rainwater has not been efficiently seeping into the soil to replenish the city’s aquifer due to high urban growth, adding to the city’s woes. Watersheds are also suffering from human encroachment.

But Baguio households could collect rain, aided by tax incentives and water filtering technology, said Cordelia Lacsamana, city environment officer, who is adopting the UP study to improve the way the city uses its water.

The study said: “If the practice of rainwater harvesting was to be adopted by all or most households in the city and if this was done on a larger scale than just the use of drums, pails and basins, then fewer households would depend on water delivery services for most of their domestic needs.”

The study results, which were presented on Dec. 11 last year, also discussed an unspoken benefit from rain, of which Baguio residents may not have been aware: It’s a resource which government could not possibly tax.

Water, by law, is owned by the state. The only water that the state allows people to have “exclusive control” of is that which is “captured and collected by means of cisterns, tanks or pools,” said the study, citing a section of the water code (Presidential Decree No. 1067).

“Notice, however, that the law used the word ‘control’ and not ownership. This goes to show how the state jealously guards its assumed title over water,” the study said.

“The city’s historical lack of a constant water service for most households has made them adopt a ‘water-scarce lifestyle,’” the study said.

“For many households, knowing the days and the time that water will be released is important as many tasks are scheduled around it,” it added.

“In many places, BWD releases water late at night or during the early hours in the morning, causing residents some inconvenience… In fact, residents have water from the BWD for an average of 44 hours only…” the study said.

Cebu City's Water Source is Drying Up

A barangay in Cebu City may have to double efforts to conserve water after one of its water sources is drying up due to the hot weather.

Four sitios of Barangay Busay have been experiencing water supply problems, GMA Cebu's Vic Serna reported Tuesday.

Worse, water rations from the City Hall have not been very frequent since the water source in Sitio Lower in Barangay Busay dried up as early as March.

Also affected by the water shortage are animals and even vegetables and flowers.

Private water truck owner Crispin Prantar has increased the prices of his water delivery service due to the short supply.

Prantar now sells water at P7 per container – more than double the P3 when the city's Department of Public Services was regularly delivering water.

The barangay is now considering acquiring a submersible pump to use in Sitio Garaje, to supply the affected residents with water.

For now, the residents may have to depend on Prantar's water truck delivery for their supply.

Dams drying up

Elsewhere in Cebu, GMA Cebu's Mark Anthony Bautista reported dams at the Jaclupan water facility in Talisay City have been drying up as well.

This has affected residents of Sitio Tabok-Sapa in Barangay Jaclupan as three of four water lines had gone dry.

Water pressure had also weakened for the other water lines, while the river in Barangay Jaclupan has started to dry up.

"Apektado talaga kami dahil sa init, wala na ngang tubig ang ilog kaya ngayon nagba-budget kami para makagamit rin ang iba," said resident Renato Elnace.

But some who set up water refilling stations are seeing brisk business.

"Opo lalo ngayong tag-init," said Lilia Elegin, when asked if her water refilling business had picked up.

The Metropolitan Cebu Water District said the water it produced had gone down from 42,000 to 21,000 cubic meters due to the drying of its basin.

Eight of 15 water pumps at the Jaclupan water facility are working.

"We cannot assure there will be convenience but there will be water to drink," said Engineer Lasaro Salvacion, MCWD acting assistant general for operation.

However, MCWD assured there will still be enough water supply as it gets 18,000 cubic meters from Carmen town.

"We are doing our best. We also need cooperation of our customers during this El Niño that (may) last up to October. The best way is to save water," said Salvacion.

 — Joel Locsin/LBG, GMA News

Water For Life

Davao City Water District's Tibungco Water Supply System serving residents in Tibungco Relocation Phase 2 was blessed and inaugurated last October 25, 2012. The newest water system was funded by the Water for Life foundation of the Vitens-Evides International, a water utility in The Netherlands, which donated 5.4 million Pesos in 2010 or the establishment of said facility and financing of new service connections..

Father Boy Roland T. Ong blessed the facility. Present during the event were Vice-Mayor Rodrigo Duterte, third district Congresswoman Mylene Garcia - Albano, acting head of city Building Office engr. Jaime G. Adalin representing Mayor Sara Duterte, and many others.

The Water for life foundation, Davao City Water District and the Local Government of Davao City that jointly undertook this project was thanked by homeowners president Celso Cabansag in behalf of all residents.