Water Pollution

Filipinos aware water pollution a serious threat -- SWS

January 25, 2008 20:13:00
Jocelyn Uy
Philippine Daily Inquirer


MANILA, Philippines -- Five of every 10 Filipinos believe water pollution is a serious threat to their health and environment but the government is unable to enforce environmental laws.
Results of survey of the Social Weather Stations released Friday also showed that at least three of every six Metro Manila residents did not agree that pollution was an “acceptable” trade-off for economic progress.
The SWS survey, a first on water pollution and enforcement of environmental laws, was commissioned by the environmental group Greenpeace as part of its “Project: Clean Water” program launched in September.
The initiative aims to mobilize action in protecting the country’s vast fresh water sources.
A recent World Bank study warned of a possible water scarcity in the country by 2025.
The survey from November 30 to December 3 covered 1,200 randomly chosen adult respondents divided into samples of 300 each in Metro Manila, Luzon, Visayas and Mindanao.
“We wanted to see how Filipinos perceive the problem because it is very hard to push for the implementation of environmental laws if the public accepts water pollution as an unavoidable consequence of economic development,” said Beau Baconguis, Greenpeace Southeast Asia campaigner in a press conference Friday.
Half of respondents said water pollution in the country was a “very serious” problem and posed great danger to their health and environment; 22 percent found it “somewhat serious;” nine percent, “a little serious”; and 19 percent, “hardly serious.”
While growing concern for water pollution was noted among residents in urban areas, with 58 percent finding it unacceptable that economic progress should mean environmental destruction, some 48 percent said they were not aware of any laws enacted to help prevent pollution.
Among the environmental policies cited in the survey were the Clean Water Act and the Solid Waste Management Act.
Out of the 1,200 respondents, 26 percent said they were familiar with the Clean Water Act; 27 percent were aware of the Solid Waste Management Act while 50 percent admitted not knowing about the laws.
Some 40 percent said the laws were rarely enforced while only eight percent said they were “almost always enforced.”
“The figures are dismal and shocking. This should be a wake up call for the government to give priority to (people’s) health and the environment,” Baconguis said.
“This should jolt the government into taking more aggressive action to combat the growing threats to the country’s water resources,” she said.

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It causes death.... Marami ng affected ng water pollution not only in our country but also in Chicago and other countries...

Saan nga ba ito nagsimula??? Hindi naman lingid sa ating kaalaman ang napakaruming kapaligiran natin.. Hindi lang tubig ang polluted, maging hangin din...at dito tayo hindi makalaya...sa ating karumihan...

Proud ako na naging bahagi ako ng forum na ito at nakilala ko kayo na mapagmahal sa Inang Bayan at Inang Kalikasan...bilang isang simpleng mamamayan malaki din ang ating bahagi sa lipunang ating ginagalawan. DAlangin ko na sana magbago ang takbo ng lipunan. Magkaroon ng disiplina ang bawat isang Pilipino upang mapagtagumpayan ang mga krisis na ito... Magtulong-tulong po tayo!

Kurak! Dyan ako proud sa mga Kabataang Pinoy na concern sa kapaligiran...Hindi puro lakwatsa at barkada inaatupag...Sana maramin pang mga pinoy na magkaroon ng pagnanais na umunlad ang kalinangan ng ating bayan...Salamat sa pakikiisa kuya Jhuly...

hello po let us stop polluting in water hehehhehehe

ashley07 wrote:

hello po let us stop polluting in water hehehhehehe

ha? wers the fun in that!?

...simple lang ang masasabi ko..
kung gusto pa natin makainom ng malinis na tubig, disiplina ang kailangan!
:fish: