PH and Korea strengthen ties through new water project in Pampanga

The National Water Resources Board (NWRB) and the Korea International Cooperation Agency (KOICA) are strengthening bilateral ties by working on a new water project, the Integrated Water Resources Management Information System (IWRMIS) for the Pampanga River Basin.

The system aims to improve water resources planning, management, and regulation in the river basin.

Under the 2021-2025 foreign grant, the Korean government will provide the Philippine government with the necessary software, equipment, and materials, dispatch some experts from Korea to assist in the implementation of the project, and host capacity-building activities for NWRB’s officials and personnel.

“With the improvement and expansion of the project covering the entire Pampanga River Basin, it is expected that we will be able to reap more benefits from this project, specifically in terms of water allocation and distribution, irrigation, and flood analysis.

Consequently, this also means more work from both our ends but this is a very much welcome challenge to which the NWRB is up to,” said NWRB Executive Director Sevillo David Jr.

Meanwhile, Department of Environment and Natural Resources (DENR) Undersecretary Rodolfo Garcia underlined the importance of communicating the project initiatives to the surrounding communities and said the public must be educated in order to elicit their support and move them into action.

Pampanga River Basin has a catchment area of 10,434 square kilometers that spans the provinces of Nueva Vizcaya, Nueva Ecija, Tarlac, Pampanga, Bulacan, Zambales, and Bataan.

The river basin is envisioned by the DENR to become “the most economically advanced river basin in the country with the lowest incidence of poverty, a fully restored watershed and ecosystem, properly managed water resources, modern infrastructure facilities, and empowered citizens in partnership with transparent, accountable, and development-oriented leaders.”

SOURCE: The Manila Times