The Pearl of the Orient's Water Crisis
- Alexandra Catherine Magana
- Sep 3, 2021
- 5 min read
Ever since the dawn of time, mankind has needed water to survive and thrive. That being said, we have come a long way in establishing a safe, and clean drinking water for all. Or is it the case?
The Safe Drinking Water Crisis
All throughout the globe, there have been inequities in terms of safe drinking water distribution. Buchholz (2019) entailed that Africa had the least access. Whereas, South and Central America neared 100%. But, more importantly, unsafely managed drinking water kills more than we could ever imagine.
Figure 1
Unsafe Water Kills More People Than Disasters & Conflict
Note. From Buchholz, K. (2019, March 22). Unsafe Water Kills More People Than Disasters and Conflict. Statista. https://www.statista.com/chart/17445/global-access-to-safe-drinking-water/.
In the Philippines, Baclig (2021) shared reports from the Department of Health (DOH). This affirmed the negative consequences brought about by unsafe sources of drinking water while including the improper disposal of human waste. Both of which often caused food poisoning and water-borne issues in various areas.
For this reason, the UN General Assembly (UNGA) launched the Sustainable Development Goals (SDG) 2015. The worldwide initiative called to end various societal issues in cooperation with countries across the globe. Its sixth goal aimed to grant universal access to safe drinking water, sanitation and basic hand washing facilities by the year 2030.
On the Ground: the Safe Levels of Drinking Water
As defined by the World Health Organization (WHO), a safely managed drinking water service is “one located on premises, available when needed and free from contamination.”
Figure 2
Access to Clean Drinking Water in the Philippines
Note. From Baclig, C. E. (2021, July 8). WHO-Unicef report: Nearly half of Filipinos get safe drinking water. INQUIRER.NET. https://newsinfo.inquirer.net/1456912/who-unicef-report-nearly-half-of-filipinos-get-safe-drinking-water.
The report from WHO and Unicef Joint Monitoring Programme for Water Supply, Sanitation and Hygiene (JMP) wrote about the country’s improvements. Although more than half of the Philippine population has yet to gain access to such a luxury, there has been a 1.12% overall increase ever since the SDG 2015 launch.
Specifically, in the year 2020, 61.80% had access to safely managed drinking water within urban areas. Whereas, in rural areas, it was 34.54%. Furthermore, at least 46.64% had access to basic improved water sources. These include piped water, borehole, tube wells, protected dug wells, springs, rainwater, and packaged water. All of which are safe water sources but there is a need for at least 30 minutes of going back and forth.
Aside from these, 2.86% had access to limited improved water stations which over 30 minutes of travel time is required. And, 3.03% had drinking water from unimproved sources coming from unprotected dug wells or unprotected springs.
On the Ground: the Sanitation Crisis
In 2015, the same WHO-Unicef document initially said 54.77 percent had access to “improved facilities which are not shared with other households and where excreta are safely disposed in situ or transported and treated off-site.” Whereas, in 2020, it mentioned 60.64% had access to safely managed sanitation facilities.
In addition, by the year 2020, Filipinos situated in the rural areas had surprisingly better access to sanitation facilities. This was with at least 65.84% of the population. On the other hand, 54.86% of the people in urban areas had safely managed sanitation stations.
Meanwhile, in terms of basic sanitation facilities, 21.62% had access. And, regarding limited improved facilities, over 11% had access. From here, at least 2.84% of Filipinos still utilized pit latrines, hanging latrines, or bucket latrines. While, 3.79% practiced open defecation.
Figure 3
Safe Poo
Note. From Baclig, C. E. (2021, July 8). WHO-Unicef report: Nearly half of Filipinos get safe drinking water. INQUIRER.NET. https://newsinfo.inquirer.net/1456912/who-unicef-report-nearly-half-of-filipinos-get-safe-drinking-water.
What Does All These Data Mean?
Lotta Sylwander, the UNICEF Philippines Representative, emphasized the importance of a safe water and proper sanitation facilities by voicing out that “Safe water and sanitation is especially linked to young children’s nutrition and ability to stay healthy and focused in school. Diseases caused by unsafe or unhygienic practices decrease children’s chances to successful school completion and healthy growth,” (UNICEF, 2021).
Furthermore, Clarivall (2016) included that WHO’s report in 2015 stated an access to sufficient water, sanitation and hygiene are critical. All of which aids in the prevention and care of neglected tropical diseases (NTDs). This is due to the fact that it affected more than 1.5 billion people around the globe. It had even caused blindness, deformity, permanent disability and in the worst cases, death to so many people. More so, the practice of open defecation can be related to a higher risk of chronic malnutrition. This act had affected 161 million children worldwide. Consequently, it left the youth with serious physical and intellectual harm.
Hence, Dr. Maria Neira, the Director of the WHO Department of Public Health, Environmental and Social Determinants for Health stated “Until everyone has access to adequate sanitation facilities, the quality of water supply will be undermined and too many people will continue to die from waterborne and water-related diseases."
What Can We Do?
Here are some actions as to how each and every one of us can change the status quo (Access to Clean Drinking Water in the Philippines, 2021).
1. Be informed & share
Before being an active member of the community, ensure that you are thoroughly informed. Read up regarding water insecurity, its causes, its short term, and long-term effects to the individual as well as to the community. Just be sure to read from credible sources like news outlets and research papers. Once that is accomplished, share what you have learned through word of mouth and on social media platforms.
2. Take part in organizations
If you have the resources and time, donate to various non-governmental organizations (NGO). You can do so by looking up Water.org. It aims to aid in giving access to clean drinking water by 2028. To date, it has provided no interest loans to families, created numerous plumbing services inside homes and established well-built wells within communities.
Another notable organization is DAI. The institution’s responses are towards the improvement of sanitation techniques. Currently, various infrastructure projects and educational campaigns had already taken place. As a result, safer ways in transporting water to homes and communities are now possible. Aside from this, the people were educated on the process of proper cleaning and maintenance for one’s water supply.
In Reality…
To someone who lives in the urban side of the country, this is a shocking revelation. Afterall, technological innovations have come a long way. Sadly, current technologies, a lack of public awareness, and a more effective governance have yet to fully eradicate the problem. But, we can all do this together! You and I can spark change by letting others be socially aware as well.
Information Sources:
Access to Clean Drinking Water in the Philippines. (2021, January 6). The Borgen Project. https://borgenproject.org/clean-drinking-water-in-the-philippines/
Baclig, C. E. (2021, July 8). WHO-Unicef report: Nearly half of Filipinos get safe drinking water. INQUIRER.NET. https://newsinfo.inquirer.net/1456912/who-unicef-report-nearly-half-of-filipinos-get-safe-drinking-water
Buchholz, K. (2019, March 22). Unsafe Water Kills More People Than Disasters and Conflict. Statista. https://www.statista.com/chart/17445/global-access-to-safe-drinking-water/
Claravall, C. (2016, January 26). Food and waterborne diseases threaten 7 million Filipinos without toilet facilities. World Health Organization. https://www.who.int/philippines/news/detail/26-01-2016-food-and-waterborne-diseases-threaten-7-million-filipinos-without-toilet-facilities
UNICEF. (2021, July 17). Two billion people lack safe drinking water, more than twice lack safe sanitation. UNICEF Philippines. https://www.unicef.org/philippines/press-releases/two-billion-people-lack-safe-drinking-water-more-twice-lack-safe-sanitation
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