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Advocates Philippines
Water Resources Management Office EO signed by PBBM
Photo credit: PCO
On Thursday, President Ferdinand R. Marcos Jr. signed an executive order establishing the Water Resources Management Office (WRMO) within the Department of Environment and Natural Resources (DENR). The purpose of the WRMO is to coordinate and harmonize the government's efforts to ensure the sustainable management and availability of water resources in the country.
Executive Order No. 22 mandates the WRMO to implement the Integrated Water Resources Management in accordance with the United Nations' Sustainable Development Goals and formulate a corresponding Water Resources Master Plan. This move is aimed at addressing the challenges that affect the management of water resources in the country. These challenges include increasing demand for water due to population and economic growth, climate change impacts, the pandemic, and lack of adequate infrastructure leading to uneven distribution of water resources.
The executive order emphasizes the importance of integrating and harmonizing policies, programs, and projects of all relevant agencies in the water resource sector to avoid conflicts, minimize and avert water crises, and fulfill the government's complementary mandates.
The WRMO has been given a mandate to lead and promote the creation of an apex body such as the proposed Department of Water or a regulatory commission on water. It will also integrate various plans of agencies, including the Philippine Development Plan, the Philippine Water Supply and Sanitation Master Plan, and the National Water Resources Board Security Master Plan into the IWMP.
Furthermore, the WRMO will generate and maintain credible and timely water and sanitation data to aid in evidence-based policy-making, regulations, planning, and implementation. An Undersecretary will head the WRMO and will be appointed by the President upon the recommendation of the DENR Secretary.
Executive Order No. 22 mandates the WRMO to implement the Integrated Water Resources Management in accordance with the United Nations' Sustainable Development Goals and formulate a corresponding Water Resources Master Plan. This move is aimed at addressing the challenges that affect the management of water resources in the country. These challenges include increasing demand for water due to population and economic growth, climate change impacts, the pandemic, and lack of adequate infrastructure leading to uneven distribution of water resources.
The executive order emphasizes the importance of integrating and harmonizing policies, programs, and projects of all relevant agencies in the water resource sector to avoid conflicts, minimize and avert water crises, and fulfill the government's complementary mandates.
The WRMO has been given a mandate to lead and promote the creation of an apex body such as the proposed Department of Water or a regulatory commission on water. It will also integrate various plans of agencies, including the Philippine Development Plan, the Philippine Water Supply and Sanitation Master Plan, and the National Water Resources Board Security Master Plan into the IWMP.
Furthermore, the WRMO will generate and maintain credible and timely water and sanitation data to aid in evidence-based policy-making, regulations, planning, and implementation. An Undersecretary will head the WRMO and will be appointed by the President upon the recommendation of the DENR Secretary.
Apr 28, 2023
