ROLE of HYDROLOGY in WATER RESOURCES PLANNING and MANAGEMENT in the PHILIPPINES

Objectives:
To define problems on watershed and mitigation in the Philippines.
To cite current problems in watershed management and watershed protection in our country.

Objectives:
To define the role of Hydrology in water resources planning and management in the Philippines.
To cite and identify the agencies involved in the collection of hydrologic data in the Philippines.

Over the past decade, and increasingly, there have been many studies into climate change effects on hydrology and water resources and some undertaken on behalf of water management agencies. There are still many gaps and unknowns, however. The goal of this chapter assesses current understanding of the impacts of climate change on water resources and implications for adaptation.

Estimating the Impacts of Climate Change

The impacts of climate change on hydrology usually are estimated by defining scenarios for changes in climatic inputs to a hydrological model from the output of general circulation models. The three key developments here are constructing scenarios that are suitable for hydrological impact assessments, developing and using realistic hydrological models, and understanding better the linkages and feedbacks between climate and hydrological systems.

Impacts on Water Resources and Hazards

The preceding sections have assessed the potential effect of climate change on river flows, groundwater recharge and other biophysical components of the water resource base, and demands for that resource. The consequences, or impacts, of such changes on risk or resource reliability depend not only on the biophysical changes in streamflow, recharge, sea-level rise, and water quality but also on the characteristics of the water management system.

Societal characteristics that maximize susceptibility to climate change include:

1. Poverty and low income levels, which prevent long-term planning and provisioning at the household level.

2. Lack of water control infrastructures.

3. Lack of maintenance and deterioration of existing infrastructure. 4. Lack of human capital skills for system planning and management.

5. Lack of appropriate, empowered institutions. 6. Absence of appropriate land-use planning. 7. High population densities and other factors that inhibit population mobility.

8. Increasing demand for water because of rapid population growth.

9. Conservative attitudes toward risk [unwillingness to live with some risks as a trade off against more goods and services (risk aversion)]. 10. Lack of formal links among the various parties involved in water management.

Mitigation an alleviation; a narrow passage; to alley or to lessen.