The Kaliwa Dam Issue
The Kaliwa dam project is the development of a new water source in the
Philippines to meet the increasing demand for water through the construction of a
redundant dam (across two fault lines) for Metro Manila's domestic water supply, thus
effectively displacing Indigenous people (IP). The project allegedly costs about Php
18.724 Billion, funded by the Official Development Assistance (ODA). The project has
been on the pipeline for so many years now, supposedly to help augment the two
concessionaire's water supply but concerned groups (environmentalists and indigenous
peoples, to name a few) are not big on the dam, saying that it will inundate indigenous
communities and worsen flooding in the areas of influence surrounding the dams.
Societal and Environmental Impacts
The issues concerned with the construction of the water reservoir in the Philippines
serves as a glimpse of the marginalization of IPs and the blatant disregard for
environmental development due to the fact that "money talks." The "development" of the
water reservoir includes the encroachment of the IP's ancestral lands and, consequently,
the environment. The project was dubbed as the government's "last resort to have water
for Manila" by President Duterte, fully indicating that he was convinced there were no
possible alternatives to the Kaliwa dam project. He further commented, "It might create
some danger or damage, but that is not my concern. My concern is the welfare, the
greatest good for the greatest number. That is democracy", recognizing that the
construction of the water reservoir may pose as a threat to the welfare of Ips and the
surrounding environment.
Land. The site of the Kaliwa dam project would occupy the northern section of the
Philippine mobile belt (specifically Infanta, Quezon), which would cause it to be affected
by several earthquake generators due to it being located across two fault lines (one being
the Philippine Fault Zone). It would also contribute to increasing solid wastes, waste
disposal, loss/deterioration of vegetation, loss of habitat and wildlife species, loss of
biomass and carbon, and the most prominent: terrain modification, erosion, and slope
destabilization.
Water. There is expected to be a reduction of water flow for downstream users as water
use will be allocated for workers during construction, such as concreting and water for the
equipment. As a result, there will be conflicts surrounding downstream irrigation water
requirements. Infanta, the site of the water reservoir construction, will have a depletion of
groundwater supply sources. As for the water itself, there will be impacts on freshwater
ecology and threats to benthic and plankton communities.
Air. Air quality might degrade as a result of the development of the project. There will also
be a noticeable increase in the area's ambient noise level due to the on-going
construction.
Indigenous People. The IPs are considered the most affected by this project as the
construction will result in their displacement in ancestral and sacred sites. This will also
contribute to the disturbance of properties and create conflict in land ownership. Due to
their displacement, there is a possibility of the proliferation of informal settlers in the area.
Reference:
Waterworks, M. Sewerage System (MWSS)(2016b). New Centennial Water Source–
Kaliwa Dam Project.
Mendoza, R. U., & Torres, A. G. (2019). Anatomy of a Water Crisis. SSRN Electronic
Journal. https://doi.org/10.2139/ssrn.3381583