EDITORIAL — Better water management needed

The corruption scandal involving flood control and other public works infrastructure placed such projects on hold for many months, raising concern about cataclysmic flooding this year in many areas.

Before the typhoon season begins, however, the nation is facing another recurring problem related to water management: irrigation.

Images have shown farms across the country becoming parched. In Central Luzon, the country’s rice granary, several local governments are seeking an extension of irrigation coverage as the scorching heat is expected to prevail for several more weeks, threatening crops.

This cycle of torrential floods and destructive heat should have been better managed long ago, using modern methods of water impounding and distribution. Other countries have been employing such technology for many years now, collecting heavy rainfall and storing the water for staggered distribution all the way to the dry season.

Such systems, which augment dams but don’t require the massive land area required for water reservoirs, not only ensure steady irrigation but also – as seen in cities such as Japanese capital Tokyo – prevent flooding.

Apart from rainfall collecting systems, other countries are employing technology for recycling dirty water into non-potable reclaimed water that can be used for agricultural and landscape irrigation as well as activities such as construction and industrial cooling.

Sourcing fresh water has been a global problem for several decades now amid the continuing population boom. Global warming has aggravated the problem, threatening food production and livelihoods.

The problem gives urgency to skillful water management. Metro Manila water concessionaire Maynilad has started using technology to process dirty or wastewater into reclaimed water and even potable or drinking water.

As the government overhauls the flood control infrastructure, it must also incorporate improved water management. Other countries are showing that technology can make steady irrigation and potable water supply possible.