Philippines lays groundwork for integrated water management with South Korean aid

The Philippines, considered the world’s most disaster-prone country, has established a new governance framework to overhaul its water management system with aid from the Korea International Cooperation Agency (KOICA).

The framework is the result of KOICA’s recently completed $2.5-million initiative, the “Capacity Building for Integrated Water Resources Management and Sustainable Development Project,” which aims to strengthen the nation’s resilience against frequent typhoons, floods and droughts.

The project, which ran since 2021, provided technical and institutional training to key Philippine water agencies on implementing the Integrated Water Resource Management (IWRM) framework. IWRM seeks to unify the delivery of vital services, including water supply, sanitation, irrigation, and flood control.

KOICA Philippines country director Jung Youngsun cited the project’s long-term objective at the recent closing ceremony.

“We hope that the governance framework established through this project will serve as a foundation for the Philippines’ integrated water management… This project has laid the institutional groundwork for sustainable implementation,” Jung said.

The initiative began with a comprehensive assessment of the country’s water landscape, which yielded a mid- to long-term roadmap. The roadmap will guide the government’s efforts toward sustainable and integrated water resource management.

Filipino officials gained practical insights into South Korea’s integrated water management systems and policy through a series of training programs held in South Korea and local workshops.

KOICA teamed up with the Department of Economy, Planning and Development (DEPDev) and provided support to six key agencies.

These include the Department of Environment and Natural Resources – Water Resources Management Office (DENR-WRMO), Department of Public Works and Highways (DPWH), National Water Resources Board (NWRB), National Irrigation Administration (NIA), and Local Water Utilities Administration (LWUA). The goal was to strengthen their capacities in sustainable and integrated water resource management.

The project is expected to directly support the government’s efforts toward achieving SDG six (Clean Water and Sanitation) and SDG 13 (Climate Action) by improving transparency and efficiency in water resource management.