The Philippines obtains its water supply from different sources.
These include: rainfall, surface water resources, i.e. rivers, lakes, and reservoirs, and groundwater resources. It has 18 major river basins and 421 principal river basins as defined by the National Water Regulatory Board (NWRB ).
The Bureau of Fisheries and Aquatic Resources (BFAR) reports that there are 79 lakes in the country, mostly utilized for fish production. Laguna Lake is the country’s largest lake with a total area of 3,813.2 sq km and is also one of the largest lakes in Southeast Asia. Lake Lanao, the largest lake in Mindanao, is one of the 17 ancient lakes on earth (Environmental Management Bureau, 2006).
In terms of groundwater, the country has an extensive groundwater reservoir with an aggregate area of about 50,000 sq km. Data from the Mines and Geosciences Bureau (MGB) show that several groundwater basins are underlaid by about 100,000 sq km of various rock formation and that these resources are located in:
Northeast Luzon
Central Luzon
Laguna Lake basin
Cavite-Batangas-Laguna basin
Southeast Luzon
Mindoro Island
Negros Island
Northeast Leyte
Ormoc-Kananga basin
Agusan-Davao basin
Occidental Misamis basin
Lanao-Bukidnon-Misamis basin
Central Luzon
Laguna Lake basin
Cavite-Batangas-Laguna basin
Southeast Luzon
Mindoro Island
Negros Island
Northeast Leyte
Ormoc-Kananga basin
Agusan-Davao basin
Occidental Misamis basin
Lanao-Bukidnon-Misamis basin
Data from the Philippines Environment Monitor (PEM) show that while some regions are endowed with high potential source of surface water, others have limited supplies, as shown in the table below.
| |||
Water Resources Region
|
Groundwater Potential
|
Surface Water Potential
|
Total Water Resources Potential
|
X Northern Mindanao
|
2,116
|
29,000
|
31,116
|
XII Southern Mindanao
|
1,758
|
18,700
|
20,458
|
VI Western Visayas
|
1,144
|
14,200
|
15,344
|
XI Southeastern Mindanao
|
2,375
|
11,300
|
13,675
|
IX Western Mindanao
|
1,082
|
12,100
|
13,182
|
VIII Eastern Visayas
|
2,557
|
9,350
|
11,907
|
II Cagayan Valley
|
2,825
|
8,510
|
11,335
|
III Central Luzon
|
1,721
|
7,890
|
9,611
|
IV Southern Tagalog
|
1,410
|
6,370
|
7,780
|
I Ilocos
|
1,248
|
3,250
|
4,498
|
V Bicol
|
1,085
|
3,060
|
4,145
|
VII Central Visayas
|
879
|
2,060
|
2,939
|
www.greenpeace.org/seasia/ph/.../the-state-of-water-in-the-phil.pdf
-Aaron Amos
Nice post! :) has a detailed table from PEM although the post kinda lacks in information. Try to add more info. :) But still a good post. ;)
ReplyDeleteThe Philippines have a lot of resources for our supply of water. We should know their significance in our lives and take care of it.
ReplyDeleteDefinitely, a must-read! I hope this article would open the minds of people that at the end of the day, conserving water in our own households will go a long way in ensuring the continuous supply of water in our faucets. :)
ReplyDeleteThe detailed table shows that the Philippines have abundant water resources. Water is the most valuable resource we need. Therefore, we should conserve and use it wisely.
ReplyDelete"The Philippines obtains its water supply from different sources."
ReplyDeleteOur country should really take care of our resources. This resources keeps us alive. Very detailed facts and it is very interesting to read. Keep it up! :)
Your data given was very well stated. Since our country obtains its water supply from different sources, its our responsible how to conserve water.There’s no doubt that water is important. Not only do we humans use it just about every day, but every living thing needs it to live.
ReplyDelete