Life began in water, and through water it is sustained. On World Water Day, Philippine Movement for Climate Justice (PMCJ) sees the country’s water crisis beyond scarcity. It is a systematic failure driven by corporate greed and the privatization of a basic human right.

Earlier this year, the United Nations (UN) declared a global “water bankruptcy. Many natural water sources have been depleted or are losing more water than they can realistically replenish. As a result, billions of people remain insecure, pointing to an uneven and unjust system of water allocation.

The same report exposed that over 70% of the world’s major aquifers, or underground water reservoirs, are rapidly depleting due to excessive extraction, leading to land subsidence, or the sinking of land. In the Philippines, this bankruptcy is the direct result of an exploitative system that prioritizes industrial profit over survival of millions. According to the Department of Environment and Natural Resources (DENR), 40 million Filipinos still lack access to clean, potable water.

The crisis is most visible in the literal sinking of the nation’s capital region and the surrounding area. According to a study, Bulacan is sinking by as much as 109 mm per year — the highest in the country — due to massive and unregulated groundwater extraction, land use, and destruction of mangroves. This reveals the true reason why these areas are now easily flooded even in light rain, aside from corruption in the flood control projects and poorly planned drainage systems. Research from UP recording subsidence rates confirms that industrial land use is one of the primary drivers of this collapse. Land used by industries that use huge amounts of water and are likely extracting large volumes from underground aquifers is found to be sinking faster.

Freshwater sources are also rich in resources that many communities rely on for livelihood and food. Laguna Lake, for example, is the largest inland water body in the country. According to a case study from the National Academy of Science and Technology, the lake supplies water to parts of Metro Manila and is the source of affordable animal protein in the surrounding regions. Despite this, fish catch has reportedly declined over the years, partly due to industrialization and resulting pollution. Add to this the Laguna Lakeshore Road Network (LLRN) that is expected to destroy the lake’s shoreline, even as residents expressed resistance to the project.

Though the transition to cleaner sources of energy should be the top priority in the fight against the climate crisis, even this—without thorough examination of effects—can contribute to the water crisis. A floating solar project is currently underway in Laguna Lake, despite opposition calls from local fisherfolk. If developments to speed up the country’s independence from fossil fuels are not inclusive of the rights of the people, the efforts made are useless and counterproductive to any effort to counter the climate crisis.

PMCJ believes in a just transition away from fossil fuels and the greed that drives it, and calls for an overhaul of the system that allowed the problems presented to worsen to the level we face today. It is clear that, if left unchecked, the capitalist desire for more profit will soon drain the country of freshwater and sink our cities and homes. True water security can only be achieved by shifting to a sustainable system of water and land use that prioritizes people over profit and ends the privatization of our most vital resource. ###

Read: https://docs.google.com/document/d/1FABKfpvPaqNJ_UqjpSrkUw3lwknm7mqs/edit?usp=drivesdk&ouid=116795525426671918997&rtpof=true&sd=true