Tuesday, February 16, 2016

USAID’s Be Secure Project advocates use of rain water

From the Philippine News Agency (Feb 16): USAID’s Be Secure Project advocates use of rain water

The United States Agency for International Development (USAID), through its Water Security for Resilient Economic Growth and Stability (Be Secure) Project, is advocating for the passage of an ordinance by local government units (LGUs) to require the installation of rain water harvesting and storage facility in all buildings and houses in their respective localities.

Elisea Gozun, USAID’s Be Secure Climate Resiliency team leader, said Monday that harvesting and storing rain water should be practiced in every households “so that we can make use of it” for other needs especially in times of El Niño.

“We should maximize the use of water that we have,” said Gozun, speaking on the first day of the four-day Water Audit Training in this city.

Gozun said that a law was enacted sometime in 1989 during the time of then President Corazon Aquino requiring all barangays to have their own rain water harvesting facility.

Gozun, who is the former secretary of the Department of Environment and Natural Resources (DENR), however noted that such law “as in many other laws was never implemented.”

She said the ordinance to be adopted by the LGUs should be applicable only to all houses and buildings that will be constructed after its approval.

She said the harvesting and storage of rain water should be practiced all year round by all households not just in times of El Niño citing climate change has great impact “in our water resources.”

The USAID Be Secure Project is conducting the Water Auditing Training in partnership with the Zamboanga City Water District (ZCWD).

It is aimed to help the various stakeholders learn how to conduct rapid water audits and evaluate how water is used in their facilities.

The four-day training is aimed to promote effective water demand management at the local level as a way to prepare for impending water stress and adapt a climate-resilient and sustainable water use.

The training is anchored on the theme “Water Audits: A tool Towards Water Efficiency.”

http://www.pna.gov.ph/index.php?idn=2&sid=&nid=2&rid=857651

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