K-water, BCDA, PPMA, JHMC, and the Pampanga provincial government signed an MOU for water-related cooperation in Clark, Philippines on April 22. Under the MOU, K-water will provide ultra-gap water technology solutions in key areas of the Philippines’ new city development project.
The Philippine government has been implementing national development projects to convert strategic military bases that the U.S. returned to the Philippines into new cities since 1992. Previously, major areas including Subic, Clark, and Bonifacio had been developed into new cities to ease the population concentration in the capital area and drive national economic growth. Currently, the New Clark City Development is underway as a key follow-up project.
Resolving water problems is key to urban development. The Philippines has been vulnerable to extreme weather including severe fluctuations in rainfall, droughts, and floods, and its water supply coverage rate is as low as around 40% due to reckless development of wells and shortage of water sources. As the areas covered under the MOU, Pampanga, La Union, and Benguet are struggling with complex water infrastructure problems including polluted ground water and outdated water supply pipes.
K-water will be the troubleshooter tackling the water problems facing these regions. It will offer solutions customized for each of the individual regions based on SWNM and other ultra-gap technologies. On top of that, it will collaborate with these regions in phases to conduct field surveys, perform facility diagnosis, and make specific plans for water resources development.
K-water will be a key driver in improving the quality of life and promoting the local economy in the new cities by building a sustainable water management system.
