By Adoracion B. Armada
MediaCore, PCARRD

Adequate and sustainable water supply is necessary to accelerate productivity in agriculture, improved health, and environment protection.  Current and growing concern on water resources has sparked a shift from green to blue revolution.

The rising water issue washed over during the recent International Water Management Institute Workshop held at the headquarters of the Los Baños-based Philippine Council for Agriculture, Forestry and Natural Resources Research and Development, an agency of the Department of Science and Technology that coordinated the event.

Dr. Ian Makin, director of International Water Management Institute in Southeast Asia underscored the need to adopt Blue Revolution in agriculture, a strategy that focuses on increasing productivity per unit of water or “more crop per drop”.

More water would mean more agricultural activities and more jobs for the people, Dr. Makin said.  Agencies involved in water resources research and development should support the new revolution, he added.

PCARRD supports R&D activities in water resources and has emphasized the importance of integrated management of water resources for irrigation including the use of water harvesting technologies, groundwater management, water recycling and reuse, and use of water saving technologies.

PCARRD also prioritizes activities on the conservation and management of soil and biological resources that restore the viability of the agro-ecosystem designed to attain better agricultural productivity.