Water security in the Philippines further improved in 2020 even as this important resource’s affordability remained a challenge, according to the Asian Development Bank (ADB).
In its Asian Water Development Outlook 2020 report released Friday, the Manila-based ADB assigned a score of 3 or “capable”—out of the highest score of 5 or “model”—to the Philippines in its national water security index.
In earlier Asian Water Development Outlook reports, the Philippines scored a 1 or “nascent” in 2013 and a 2 or “engaged” in 2016.
In the ADB’s latest report, the Philippines was among the top performers in environmental water security, one of the five key dimensions measured by the report.
The four other metrics were rural household water security; economic water security; urban water security; and water-related disaster security.
With each of the five key dimensions in the index assigned a score of 20, the Philippines had a cumulative score of 67.9 out of 100, up from 67 in 2016 and 59 in 2013.
The Philippines scored 11 out of 20 in rural household water security; 11.3 in economic water security; 16.8 in urban water security; 16.7 in environmental water security; and 12.1 in water-related disaster security.
In Southeast Asia, the Philippines had the second highest national water security score, after Malaysia’s 74.7.
Cambodia scored 57.5; Indonesia, 61; Laos, 55.2; Myanmar, 48.6; Thailand, 58.6; Timor-Leste, 49.9; and Vietnam, 59.9.
“The Philippines, Vietnam, Uzbekistan, Indonesia, and China show low levels of risk to future urban water security,” the ADB said.
However, the ADB said water affordability remained an issue in urban environments in Asia-Pacific, including the Philippines.
“Based on available data, Bangladesh, Indonesia, Mongolia, Myanmar, the Philippines, and Vietnam face high affordability constraints, with annual tariffs in selected cities representing more than 10 percent of the annual income of the middle quintile household,” the ADB said.