THE RELATIONSHIP BETWEEN ON-GOING GLOBALIZATION AND THE WATER
SCARCITY IN SOME REGIONS OF THE PHILIPPINES
A Research Paper
Submitted to Ms. Rosnel C. Tan
For the Final Requirement of the Subject:
The Contemporary World
Submitted by:
MANDREZA, BON JESTHER S.
CR20
June 16 2022
Chapter 1
Introduction
Water should be accessible to everyone. Obviously, water is one of humanity's most fundamental
needs. A person can only survive a few days without water because the human body requires a
lot of it to function properly (Johnson, 2019). However, not everyone has access to the same
exact source and quantity of water. One of the world's most pressing challenges is the current
water deficit. Similarly, to the Philippines, a number of people in various locations require more
access to clean water. Water scarcity is a problem in many countries, including the Philippines.
The Philippines' water quality has been deteriorating over time, especially in densely populated
areas.
There are numerous studies have found that water scarcity is a common occurrence, even in
countries with adequate water resources. According to UNICEF, almost two thirds of the world's
population have experienced water scarcity for at least one month a year. This may be due to
some factors like collapsed infrastructure and distribution systems, contamination, conflict,
climate change or poor management of water. Human factors such as globalization could be also
plays a significant role in this matter. Since the process of globalization also contribute to
increase water consumption which is used in industrial development.
More than 3 million people in developing countries such as the Philippines rely on unsafe and
unsustainable water resources. Despite its booming economy, the country is rapidly urbanizing,
and its expanding cities are struggling to provide appropriate water and sanitation facilities to
new residents. The Philippines is currently confronted with considerable issues in terms of water
supplies and sanitation. Furthermore, people are still dealing with the COVID-19 pandemic,
which has added a great deal of stress to the situation.
In rapidly growing cities like Cagayan de Oro, about 80% of the city has experienced water
scarcity according to some news. The Cagayan de Oro Water District (COWD) has been
inundated with complaints from its thousands of concessionaires, particularly in the city's
western reaches, due to a water shortage as a result of two major earthquakes, which the city's
bulk water provider claimed had damaged its pipelines and that repairs were required. Mayor
Oscar Moreno told the COWD management to "shape up" amid the torrent of complaints arising
from the lingering water shortage in the city’s first district.
Statement of the Problem
Through these occurrences, could the country's globalization have or already have a relationship
to the current water scarcity? If there is a possibility, the researcher will determine it. The
purpose of this study is to determine whether both variables, which are the on-going
globalization and the water scarcity in some regions of the Philippines, could possibly or already
have a harmful or beneficial relationship to each other. And to find out if that relationship will be
just as precise based on the current condition of the Philippines. This study will find the answer
to these following questions:
1. How does globalization affect water resources?
2. Which of the factors that causes water scarcity on some regions of the Philippines?
3. Is there any significant relationship between on-going globalization and water scarcity?
Conceptual Framework
This study aims to find the significant relationship between on-going globalization on some
regions in the Philippines. The researcher will find out on which process of globalization has the
most influence in water scarcity. In this research, the water scarcity will be our independent
variable while the on-going globalization will be our dependent variable.
Independent Variable Dependent Variable
On-going Globalization Water Scarcity
Definition of Terms
For the purpose of clarification, the important terms used in this study have been defined. The
following terms are defined in the context of our research:
Globalization. This variable is an independent variable which is assumed to be or to have any
good or bad relationship with water scarcity.
Water scarcity. This term is described as a condition where water demand exceeds available
water supply (Meikap, 2021). This variable is the dependent variable, which refers to the
problem in some regions of the Philippines.
These two refer to the level of the water demand in some regions of the Philippines. region. This
term refers to some areas of the Philippines that are currently facing water scarcity.
Chapter 2
Review of Related Literature and Studies
This chapter presents the related literature and studies that follow the researchers' extensive and
in-depth investigation. This will serve as a guide for the researchers as they create the final
product. Moreover, the information in this chapter supports the familiarization with topics
pertinent to and related to the current investigation.
Foreign Literature and Studies
Every country's dilemma is anticipated to intensify in the next few years. In even more regions of
the world, water shortages have become a major setback to socioeconomic progress and a threat
to survival. It has been noted that there are different indicators that capture distinct
characteristics of water scarcity, such as growing global population, availability of water, and
water usage, in water scarcity assessments for the past, present, and future. For the most part,
water availability and usage have been quantified over the last few decades using spatially
distributed models. Unfortunately, effective incorporation of green water (soil moisture), water
quality, environmental flow needs, globalization, and virtual water commerce into water scarcity
assessment remains a barrier. (Alcamo et al., 2017).
According to an overview of the emerging water scarcity in Pakistan, water is not only vital for
the sustenance of life but equally essential for socio-economic development. Water is the basic
requirement of life, and it's a unique gift given by God. The world's ecosystem is changing every
day as a result of human indulgence and exploitation of nature. As a result, water resources are
slowly depleting. to a global freshwater shortfall and food security concerns related to the
world's rapidly growing population, fresh water was diverted from agriculture to other more
essential purposes. (Ansari et al., 2015). In China, sustainable social and economic development
in ecologically sensitive places with arid climates, such as the Heihe River Basin in northwestern
China, is overly dependent on the availability and sustainable use of water resources. Meanwhile,
climate change and human activities are causing a growing shortage of water resources and a
decrease in water productivity in the Heihe River Basin (Deng et al., 2015). They aimed to
identify the acute water scarcity in their study and to offer feasible remedies for long-term
development. Furthermore, because they recognized three potential difficulties, their article
indicated that they researched and provided three views in dealing with possible solutions to
water scarcity.
The research A Case Study of the 2019 Metro Manila Water Crisis aims to identify the basic
concerns that threaten water security in Metro Manila, the Philippines' capital. Metro Manila is
encountering challenges as El Nio disrupts ideal weather conditions, the long-term consequences
of the biggest water shortage catastrophe in a decade. It investigates the effect of climate change
in aggravating El Nino and the threat it poses to the developing city's water security. Other
variables influencing Metro Manila's water security are also highlighted. The water issue in the
Philippines, its consequences and impacts on local people's health, and its impact on the local
and national economy are all detailed in this study. It will then outline four possible options for
the Filipino government to take, as well as the potential downsides of each. The article will
choose a policy recommendation from among these possibilities that will force the government
to heed the concerns of international environmental organizations, especially funding for
educational intervention programs that raise awareness of the situation. Climate change,
globalization and water scarcity study investigate the relationship in this work. Consider the
effects of climate change, globalization, and water shortages on human security. We examine
why individuals who are most likely to be negatively affected by climate change are also the
most likely to face the negative effects of globalization, using a "double exposure" paradigm.
The study shows that, in an era of global change, policy decisions affect water scarcity just as
much as environmental factors. According to Beth Ann Fiedler ( 2018), the island's and country's
water supply and usage are recognized and examined in relation to the lack of drinkable water.
The numerous health and environmental impacts associated to the water system accessibility,
distribution, and quality are brought forth by potential hazards and pollution hotspots. The goal
of the study was to determine the association between residents' socioeconomic position and
access to water sources in developing countries' urbanizing areas. The study has policy
implications for ensuring that the urban poor have easier access to safe water sources like piped
water.
According to an article published by Bombo Radyo Cagayan de Oro, Cagayan de Oro's water
crisis has affected at least 80% of the city. In 2017-2022, The Cagayan de Oro Water District
(COWD) has been inundated with complaints from its thousands of concessionaires, particularly
in the city's western reaches, due to a water shortage as a result of two major earthquakes, which
its bulk water provider claimed had damaged its pipelines and that repairs were required. A
recent news on June 08, 2022, thousands of houses and businesses in Cagayan de Oro have been
without tap water as the Cagayan de Oro Water District (COWD) and its treated water provider
tried to repair leaking lines. Many Kagay-anons who rely on the COWD for their tap water are
now storing rainwater or scrambling to locate alternative water sources to meet their basic needs.
The supply of purified water was disrupted in at least 14 barangays in Cagayan de Oro and a
municipality in Misamis Oriental.
Summary and Conclusion
Many reasons contribute to water scarcity, including deteriorated infrastructure and distribution
systems, climate change, contamination, conflict, and poor water management. Because
globalization's operations may include urbanizing cities for industrial expansion, it adds to an
increase in cases of water scarcity. Globalization is also one of the reasons contributing to the
rise in occurrences of water scarcity. Factory pollution, for example, can contribute to climate
change and increase the pace of contamination.
The relationship between water scarcity and ongoing globalization has demonstrated to be
associated. However, further investigation revealed that globalization is not the primary cause of
water scarcity. Globalization's only drawback is that it contributes to issues that have a direct
impact on water resources. The researchers found that if we are looking for a solution to water
scarcity, we should not focus on globalization. One element that should not be overlooked and
we must focus on is those factors that directly affects the water resources such as climate change,
contamination and so on. Globalization processes should be continued but this time with a more
proper management of water resources for it to avoid contributing to the factors that negatively
affect the water resources. Globalization processes should be continued, but this time with better
water resource management to prevent contributing to elements that negatively affect water
resources.
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