DENR: Conserve water, boost power

MANILA,Philippines—Saving water saves electric power and vice versa.

The country’s observance of World Water Day on March 22 will focus on the link between water and energy consumption, the Department of Environment and Natural Resources (DENR) said on Saturday.

The local theme this year is “Water Is Power” with the celebration bringing together the country’s water and power sectors to raise public awareness of the close link between water and energy consumption, Environment Secretary Ramon Paje said in a statement.

“We wish to highlight the important link between water and power and how they are highly dependent on each other,” Paje said.

He noted that producing energy uses water and providing fresh water needs energy. Both processes, he said, face growing limits and problems.

“In fact, much of our generated power relies on water while many Filipinos rely on electrical power for their domestic water supply,” he added.

Paje said that aside from providing Filipinos access to clean water and electricity, “the efficient use of both water and power is also an urgent issue the government is trying to address.”

Based on government statistics, around 17 million Filipinos have no access to safe drinking water while over 15 million have no access to electricity.

The DENR and its attached agencies have prepared a weeklong series of activities that will kick off Monday at the Angat hydroelectric power plant in Norzagaray, Bulacan.

On March 18, the DENR’s Environmental Management Bureau (EMB) will hold a daylong World Water Day Exhibit at the activity center of Glorietta 2 in Makati City.

This will be followed at 5 p.m. by a free four-hour concert that will feature pop and alternative rock artists to draw attention to current efforts to revive Manila Bay and major rivers and creeks in Metro Manila.

On March 19, the EMB will hold an on-the-spot poster-making contest for elementary and high school students at SM North Edsa while their teachers will undergo a water education workshop at the Air Quality Training Center in the DENR compound in Quezon City.

The DENR will also host the “Water Is Power” lecture series in selected schools in Pateros and the cities of Quezon, Marikina, Pasig, San Juan and Taguig from March 18 to 20.

All activities will culminate on March 21 at the SM Mall of Asia where a two-kilometer walk will be held to raise awareness of various water-related issues.

The celebration of March 22 as “World Day for Water” was declared in 1993 by the United Nations General Assembly. This year’s international theme is “Water and Energy.”