Water is an essential element to our everyday existence. Its role is vital in the sustenance of all life forms, as well as in agricultural, industrial, households, recreational and environmental activities. As population continues to rise, so does the demand for fresh water too. Water is a major factor shaping the natural environment. It has a long-term influence on the vegetation, fauna, and shape of the landscape and on various ecosystems.
1,830 SQ KILOMETERS OF PHILIPPINE RIVERS AND LAKES COVER 61% OF THE COUNTRY’S TOTAL LAND AREA
50,000 SQ KILOMETERS OF GROUNDWATER RESERVOIR IS RECHARGED BY RAIN AND SEEPAGE FROM RIVER AND LAKES
421 PRINCIPAL RIVER BASINS, OF WHICH 20 ARE CONSIDERED MAJOR RIVER BASINS
53,943 MILLION CUBIC METERS ESTIMATED ANNUAL DISCHARGE OF CAGAYAN RIVER, THE LONGEST AND LARGEST RIVER IN THE PHILIPPINES, WITH A GROUND WATER RESERVE OF 47,895 MILLION CUBIC METERS
79 LAKES MOSTLY UTILIZED FOR FISH PRODUCTION
86% OF PIPED-WATER SUPPLY SYSTEMS THAT USE GROUNDWATER AS A SOURCE
146 BILLION CU.M ESTIMATED AMOUNT OF THE COUNTRY’S WATER SUPPLY
6.1 MILLION LITERS PER SECOND (LPS) TOTAL ALLOCATION OF WATER FOR DIFFERENT USES
1.06 MILLION LPS SURFACE WATER ALLOCATED FOR POWER GENERATION IN REGION 2, THE LARGEST IN THE ENTIRE COUNTRY
12, 879 LPS GROUNDWATER ALLOCATED FOR MUNICIPAL USE IN REGION 4, THE LARGEST IN THE ENTIRE COUNTRY
207 MILLION CU METERS PROJECTED WATER CONSUMPTION IN METRO MANILA BY 2010
59 NATURAL LAKES AND MORE THAN 100,000 HA OF FRESHWATER SWAMPS
THERE ARE FOUR MAJOR GROUNDWATER RESERVOIRS (CAGAYAN, 10,000 KM2; CENTRAL LUZON, 9,000 KM2; AGUSAN, 8,500 KM2; COTABATO, 6,000 KM2) WHICH, WHEN COMBINED WITH SMALLER RESERVOIRS ALREADY IDENTIFIED, WOULD AGGREGATE TO AN AREA OF ABOUT 50,000 KM2
A SURVEY OF SURFACE WATER STORAGE POTENTIAL HAS IDENTIFIED SITES FOR 438 MAJOR DAMS AND 423 SMALLER DAMS
AS ESTIMATED 146,000 MCM TOTAL WATER RESOURCE POTENTIAL
438 MAJOR DAMS AND 423 SMALLER DAMS (TOTAL OF 861 IMPOUNDING