Home⇛International Journal of Multidisciplinary: Applied Business and Education Research⇛vol. 6 no. 3 (2025)

Quantifying Water Footprints in Selected Barangays of Sofronio Española, Palawan: Advancing Watershed Conservation and Management

Vanessa C. Jabagat

Discipline: Social Sciences

 

Abstract:

This study examines the water footprint and watershed management practices in Sofronio Española, Palawan, focusing on sustainability, conservation, and efficient resource use. Using a mixedmethod approach, the research combines quantitative and qualitative analyses to assess water resource conditions, consumption trends, and environmental impacts within the Pulot Watershed. The primary objectives are to evaluate water supply components, water footprints, and resource conditions, understanding the broader environmental consequences, with the goal of promoting sustainable water management strategies. Quantitative data were collected through household surveys with metered water connections using stratified sampling, alongside secondary data from water system records. These data were analysed using trend analysis, forecasting models, and GIS-based spatial mapping. Qualitative data from interviews with key informants provided insights into local perspectives on water conservation, management challenges, and the effectiveness of policies. The findings reveal that rapid population growth, deforestation, and land-use changes due to agriculture, mining, and urbanization are significantly impacting the Pulot Watershed. These issues, compounded by slash-and-burn farming and inadequate water management, are contributing to environmental degradation and jeopardizing the watershed’s ability to meet growing water demands. The study highlights critical gaps in governance, public awareness, and stakeholder involvement, emphasizing the need for integrated water resource management. Key recommendations include addressing population growth, improving water management systems, enhancing infrastructure, promoting community participation, and implementing pollution control measures and habitat restoration. These actions align with Sustainable Development Goal 6 (Clean Water and Sanitation) and aim to ensure the long-term health and sustainability of the watershed.



References:

  1. Abedin, M. A., Habiba, U., & Shaw, R. (Eds.). (2013). Water insecurity: A social dilemma. Emerald Group Publishing.
  2. Abdulhafedh, A. (2024). Global Water Scarcity and Watershed Management Planning: A case study of Clear Lake, IOWA, USA. OAlib, 11(01), 1–14. https://doi.org/10.4236/oalib.1111045
  3. Adams, E. A., Stoler, J., & Adams, Y. (2020). Water insecurity and urban poverty in the Global South: Implications for health and human biology. American Journal of Human Biology, 32(1), e23368.
  4. Barron, N. J., Kuller, M., Yasmin, T., Castonguay, A. C., Copa, V., Duncan-Horner, E., ... & Deletic, A. (2017). Towards water sensitive cities in Asia: An interdisciplinary journey. Water Science and Technology, 76(5), 1150–1157.
  5. Behar, H. (2020). Modeling Stream Thermal Dynamics: The Influence of Beaver Dams in a Minnesota Watershed (Master’s thesis, University of Minnesota).
  6. Chapagain, A. K., & Hoekstra, A. Y. (2008). The global component of freshwater demand and supply: an assessment of virtual water flows between nations as a result of trade in agricultural and industrial products. Water International, 33(1), 19–32.
  7. Chinapatana, S. (2019). Change of Forest Vegetation and Management of Soil Erosion in Southeast Asia. 水土保持通报, 39(3), 307–312.
  8. Cominelli, E., Galbiati, M., Tonelli, C., & Bowler, C. (2009). Water: the invisible problem. EMBO Reports, 10(7), 671–676.
  9. Encisa-Garcia, J., Pulhin, J., Cruz, R. V., Simondac-Peria, A., Ramirez, M. A., & De Luna, C. (2020). Land use/land cover changes assessment and Forest fragmentation analysis in the Baroro River Watershed, La Union, Philippines. Journal of Environmental Science and Management, (2).
  10. Estoque, R. C., Murayama, Y., Lasco, R. D., Myint, S. W., Pulhin, F. B., Wang, C., ... & Hijioka, Y. (2018). Changes in the landscape pattern of the La Mesa Watershed – The last ecological frontier of Metro Manila, Philippines. Forest Ecology and Management, 430, 280–290.
  11. Habiba, U., Abedin, M. A., & Shaw, R. (2014). Defining water insecurity. In Water insecurity: a social dilemma (Vol. 13, pp. 3–20). Emerald Group Publishing Limited.
  12. Harvey, F. (2023b, March 17). Global freshwater demand will outstrip supply by 40% by 2030, say experts. The Guardian. https://www.theguardian.com/environment/2023/mar/17/global-fresh-water-demand-outstrip-supply-by-2030
  13. Hernández-Cruz, A., Sandoval-Solís, S., Mendoza-Espinosa, L. G., Ramírez-Hernández, J., Medellín-Azuara, J., & Daesslé, L. W. (2020). Assessing water management strategies under water scarcity in the Mexican portion of the Colorado River Basin. Journal of Water Resources Planning and Management, 149(9), 04023042.
  14. Hoekstra, A. Y., Chapagain, A. K., & Van Oel, P. R. (2019). Progress in water footprint assessment: Towards collective action in water governance. Water, 11(5), 1070.
  15. Hoekstra, A. Y. (2003). Water footprint assessment: evolvement of a new research field. Water Resources Management, 31(10), 3061–3081.
  16. Iberdrola. (2021). The water footprint is the key to preserving a vital natural resource. Iberdrola. https://www.iberdrola.com/sustainability/what-is-water-footprint
  17. Philpot, S., Hipel, K., & Johnson, P. (2019). Identifying potential conflict in land-use planning using a values-centered e-participation tool: A Canadian case study in aggregate mining.
  18. Kumar, P., Kumar, D., Kumar, S., Kumar, J., Pal, K., & Jadhav, N. (2022). Historical Perspective of Watershed Management in India: A Participatory Rural Appraisal (PRA) based Assessment. Asian Journal of Agricultural Extension, Economics & Sociology, 40(10), 406–418.
  19. Lubczynski, M. W., & Gurwin, J. (2005). Integration of various data sources for transient groundwater modeling with spatio-temporally variable fluxes—Sardon study case, Spain. Journal of Hydrology, 306(1–4), 71–96.
  20. Santillan, J., Makinano, M., & Paringit, E. (2011). Integrated Landsat image analysis and hydrologic modeling to detect impacts of 25-year land-cover change on surface runoff in a Philippine watershed. Remote Sensing, 3(6), 1067–1087.
  21. Shan, V., Singh, S. K., & Haritash, A. K. (2020). Water crisis in the Asian countries: status and future trends. In Resilience, Response, and Risk in Water Systems: Shifting Management and Natural Forcings Paradigms, 173–194.
  22. Sespene, S. M., Maniquiz-Redillas, M., Kim, L. H., & Choo, Y. W. (2016). Characteristics, threats and management of Philippine wetlands. Journal of Wetlands Research, 18(3), 250–261.
  23. Shrestha, S., Semkuyu, D. J., & Pandey, V. P. (2016). Assessment of groundwater vulnerability and risk to pollution in Kathmandu Valley, Nepal. Science of the Total Environment, 556, 23–35.
  24. Tabora, J. A. G., Ancog, R. C., Sanchez, P. A. J., Arboleda, M. D. M., Lit, I. L., & Tiburan, C. L. (2023). The last stand of a watershed forest in Southern Philippines: a case study of land cover and biodiversity. Biodiversitas Journal of Biological Diversity, 24(3).
  25. Tabios III, G. Q. (2020). Water Resources Systems of the Philippines: Modeling Studies (Vol. 4). Springer-Nature.
  26. Wada, Y., Van Beek, L. P. H., Wanders, N., & Bierkens, M. F. P. (2013). Human water consumption intensifies hydrological drought worldwide. Environmental Research Letters, 8(3), 034036. https://doi.org/10.1088/1748-9326/8/3/034036
  27. Watershed Technology and Program. (2022). https://ispweb.pcaarrd.dost.gov.ph/watershed/
  28. Workneh, M. A. (2020). Nonmonetary poverty in Ethiopia: Multidimensional approach. Poverty & Public Policy, 12(4), 326–356.
  29. Zhang, & Zhang. (2008). Dynamic Analysis of Water Footprint and Resources Utility Efficiency of Xinjiang in Northwest China Arid Areas. Journal of Desert Research, 28(4), 775–780. http://www.desert.ac.cn/EN/abstract/abstract2002.shtml

Tools


Copyright © 2025  KITE Digital Educational Solutions |  Exclusively distributed by CE-Logic