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.