After attending the United Nations 2023 Water Conference in New York from March 22 to 24, Environment Secretary Maria Antonia Yulo-Loyzaga has called on stakeholders to scale up efforts to address the global water crisis.
“Now, more than ever, we need to accelerate our efforts to address the water crisis. We need to act urgently, and we need to act now, in partnership and in cooperation with other stakeholders,” she said over the weekend.
During the conference that was aimed at fostering greater discussion on water-related issues, including access to safe drinking water and sanitation, sustainable development, climate resilience and international water cooperation, Yulo-Loyzaga said the Philippines was ready to commit to a global water sector resilience agenda that ensures reliable and equitable access to safe water, sanitation, improved health and gender equality.
She vowed that the country will foster knowledge, innovation and just partnerships in water governance through strengthened access to science-informed, equitable, and sustainable financing and engagements with the private sector, academe, multilateral development banks, and other stakeholders in climate action.
Water governance has been becoming more and more important over the years, even in areas where a looming water crisis is not yet apparent. For now, it is the Department of Environment and Natural Resources that will play a significant role in addressing concerns over water usage and conservation as the world scales up efforts to ensure the sustainability of this resource that many are fearing could be the cause of future conflicts.
Ensuring that future generations of Filipinos will have access to safe drinking water and sanitation is a complex, long term project that has to be started now, as soon as possible. Let us not be caught off guard as the rest of the world is starting to ring the alarm bells.*
