BAGUIO CITY – Climate change as been a great factor why the city government in Baguio has water deficiency in its ecological park like the Botanical Garden.
It is for this reason that the city government here has plans of building a water harvesting facility that will provide water daily to the area.
Accordingly, Water harvesting technology is any manmade/artificial technique, scheme or facility that collects, impounds or stores water coming from the rain, springs, deep well, streams, rivers, lakes and ponds.
To ensure water to preserve ecological parks, the city government here recently partnered with the Ecosystems Research and Development Bureau (ERDB) through its Watershed and Water Resources Research Center (WWRRC) in the application and extension of ERDB technologies on water harvesting technologies.
ERDB is the principal research and development arm of the Department of Environment and Natural Resources (DENR) over watershed as well as resources and the implementer of the program on Technology Transfer and Extension Services.
Mayor Mauricio Domogan and ERDB acting director Henry Adornabo recently signed a memorandum of agreement wherein the latter will provide technical assistance to the city to establish a water harvesting demonstration facility through the conduct of trainings on water harvesting technologies, techno-for a and techno-exhibit.
ERDB will also provide technical assistance in various forms of extension services for the use of Environment and Natural Resources bamboo technologies in the rehabilitation of denuded areas within the identified site for water harvesting.
They will conduct site monitoring and coaching to the city to improve the water harvesting sites.
On the other hand, the city will participate in trainings, techno-exhibits and techno-for a as well as to involve the ERDB in the development of the said facility and site.
The city will also promote and showcase sustainable water harvesting technologies and encourage water harvesting technology adoption by stakeholders and visitors at the Botanical Garden.
Meanwhile, Baguio residents too are urged and encouraged to practice rainwater collection systems through gutters and downspouts, catchment surface, storage tanks among others./Jho Arranz
