This project proposal on Safe and Secure Water Supply for Mountain Communities is a timely endeavor to address the water woes of the communities in the mountainous areas in the Cordillera Administrative Region. Consistent with the National Integrated Basic Research Agenda (NIBRA) particularly on water security, it aims to provide sufficient, clean, and safe domestic water supply for these communities. Since the Cordillera is of unique geography with indigenous people having their own customary laws on land ownership and ancestral domains, this project will assess the communities’ water resources, supply and demand characteristics with science-based procedures. Assessment results together with all the given unique factors and climate change will be utilized for different scenario analyses through the Water Evaluation and Planning (WEAP) software. This is to investigate options that will provide long term secure water for community water supply that are more resilient to climate change and variability. Suitable technologies will be determined accordingly as needed in each of the water systems in the community. In consideration of the specific and unique conditions in this mountainous region however, such technologies will be pilot tested as basis for parameters to be followed during actual installation.

It is expected that at the end of this project,  site- specific climate-resilient water system designs with suitable water technologies will be made available to the LGUs and other concerned agencies for adoption. This is to bring science and technology to the Cordillera people to address their critical and basic need. If the water supply problems of mountain communities can be solved with appropriate and practical science and technology, the communities can become the government’s staunchest ally in environmental protection and conservation.

This project will be conducted for three years  in Bontoc, Mountain Province where many problems on water quantity and quality are being experienced.