Amid ongoing contentions about the controversial Kaliwa Dam, environmental group Haribon Foundation reiterates that the solution to the water crisis is right in our midst – the restoration of Philippine forests. Haribon emphasized that the water issue should be understood from the ridge-to-reef perspective that begins with where water comes from. “Water comes from forests, not from dams. Forests absorb water through their roots, releases it from their leaves through transpiration, then turns into rainwater together with water evaporated from oceans and other water bodies,” stated from the group’s statement. The foundation cited that the Environmental Impact Statement (EIS) submitted by the Metropolitan Waterworks and Sewerage System (MWSS) has also recognized the significant role of forests in the global carbon cycle as carbon sinks of the land ecosystem, absorbing carbon dioxide, and storing carbon in soils.

The right way? What Kaliwa Dam project means to those in the 'green' side. (2019, November 21). Manila Bulletin, p. B-7.