Water Governance

Healthy river ecosystems are vital for life. This article presents an innovative approach that fosters positive impacts on the ecological health of rivers, promoting the long-term sustainability of both social well-being and riverine environments.

This year, the Philippines was among several Southeast Asian countries to experience the hottest of summers – one that resulted in school closures and concerns about heat-related illnesses. Locals in the central Philippine village of Talustusan, home to over 600 households on the island province of Biliran, found that their faucets ran dry. 

Not many people realize that human life has been sustained by only 0.5% of freshwater on Earth. A very small part of this freshwater is hidden – unseen water that is stored deep under the earth in limestone, or karst aquifers. These water sources are now at serious risk due to mining activities, and local communities are trying to find creative ways to access and maintain their freshwater supply.