Vulnerability of Freshwater Resources in the Philippines and its Regions

Abstract

Pressures on the freshwater resources of the Philippines continuously increase due to the intensifying demand of population and economic activities and the declining water supply due to watershed degradation and unsustainable abstraction. The vulnerability of freshwater resources is based on multi-dimensional factors of physical, social, environmental, and institutional features where assessments use composite proxy indicators to combine diversified issues in a simple and understandable form as adapted from the Freshwater Vulnerability Framework of UNEP. As the Philippine Government recently released a National Plan on Water Supply and Sanitation including regional-specific gaps and actions, this study uses Freshwater Vulnerability Index (FVI) to provide a holistic overview of the impacts of different threats and describe its contribution to the overall vulnerability of the water resource. The freshwater resources of the Philippines are moderately vulnerable based on the FVI index of 0.392 indicating that the freshwater resources are generally in good condition but must be ready to face major challenges, specifically on primary threats based on the component structure of the vulnerability. Management capacity contributes the most to the country’s FVI, followed by the pressures of water development. Among the regions, freshwater resources experience high vulnerability in Central Visayas, CALABARZON (Cavite, Laguna, Batangas, Rizal and Quezon provinces), Bicol, Ilocos, Central Luzon, and Cagayan Valley. This study can provide insights on the prioritization of the national and regional interventions to reach water resources use and management sustainability.