FILIPINO and Israeli experts gathered in an online knowledge-sharing session as they explored potential solutions that will address the Philippines’s water supply and sanitation concerns.
More than 200 participants from local and international organizations attended the “Diving Deep into the Israel Water Sector: Technology and Solutions for Water Safety and Sanitation” webinar on October 13 organized by the Philippine Disaster Resilience Foundation (PDRF), the Embassy of Israel, and Israel’s Economic and Commercial Mission to the Philippines.
The event was part of the ongoing Philippine Water Challenge (PhlWC) launched by the Safe Water Project of the United States Agency for International Development or USAID, PDRF, Manila Water and Maynilad which engaged various sectors in finding solutions to the country’s water crisis.
The embassy believes there are numerous opportunities to discover solutions in addressing water and sanitation-supply challenges. Key innovations from the Israeli water sector may serve as a springboard for new ideas.
Deputy Chief of Mission Nir Balzam said more than half of his country is covered in desert, and lacks rainfall. Due to limited resources, it developed policies and unconventional solutions to improve water sufficiency. Thus, Israel has become “one of the best in the world in the field of water and sanitation and technologies.”
“Once you arrive in Israel, you realize how developed the water sector is, with great achievements in our land, fruitful in agriculture and water-sufficient,” Balzam explained. “We developed our most impressive water innovations, including irrigation, filtration, leak detection, and much more. Israel is also a world leader in water recycling, as we reuse nearly 90 percent of our wastewater.”
Head of the Water Security and Emergency Division of the Israel Water Authority Danny Lacker also emphasized that preparation is key to overcome hurdles and create solutions to any challenge:
“You cannot fall into any challenge in the water system without being prepared in advance… thinking about it, using technology, drilling, and operating in times of crisis,” Lacker said. “In Hebrew, we have a…saying: ‘Whoever cooks on Friday will eat on Saturday.’ So that’s what [we] should keep in mind: Be prepared.”
Economic Counselor and Head of Israel’s Economic and Commercial Mission to the Philippines Tomer Heyvi encouraged Filipino participants to explore Israeli technologies and solutions, and take inspiration in addressing the local water crisis. He also emphasized the importance of cooperation between the two countries using innovation and application of Israel’s best practices in water management suitable for the archipelago.
The PhlWC is a yearly competition and platform for generating water supply and sanitation solutions for water-service providers and users. By recognizing promising solutions, it will help achieve objectives of the Philippine Water Supply and Sanitation Master Plan for improving access to water-stressed communities.
The 2021 Sustainable Development Report ranks the Philippines at a low 103rd out of 193 countries in terms of achieving all 17 Sustainable Development Goals. It has completed only one out of five Clean Water and Sanitation Goal indicators, particularly 1.9 m³/capita of water consumption embodied in imports. For the Israeli embassy, key hurdles remain for the country’s access to essential drinking water and sanitation services, available freshwater resources, as well as adequate wastewater treatment.
Submission of applications for the PhlWC has been extended until October 31. Visit www.pdrf.org/philippinewaterchallenge/for details.