2016 Volume 7 Issue 2 Pages 134-140
The whole stretch of Calumpang River in Batangas province, Philippines is being considered for ecotourism development by the Batangas City government. Water quality of this river, however, falls under the Philippine Department of Environment and Natural Resources’ (DENR’s) classification as Class D – suitable only for agricultural and industrial purposes. Restoration to Class B is needed for the river to qualify for Recreational Water Use. This resource management concern needs to be addressed by the involved local government units (LGUs). Using systems analysis and modeling, a study on pollution loading of Calumpang River is conducted to generate information that will aid policymakers in crafting management options for the restoration. Factors, relationships, and processes involving people, land uses, and management practices that led to its current polluted state are identified and analyzed using the conceptual framework of the river system. Pollution contributions are identified and quantified. Analytical Hierarchy Process (AHP) and Geographic Information System (GIS) are used in determining who should be responsible and accountable for the restoration and management of this water resource. Results showed that agricultural activities are the major contributor to the degradation of water quality in Calumpang River. Swine production, in particular, loads as much as 16,990 kg of solid waste daily. Using the physico-chemical and socio-economic characteristics and their pollution loading contribution as a basis in determining the degree of accountability, results showed that Batangas and Lipa cities have the highest level of accountability with an AHP value of 0.24, followed by Rosario (0.15), Ibaan (0.14), and San Jose (0.10). Establishment of a governing body as a management option can be recommended using the results of the study as a basis for determining the financial contribution of the accountable municipalities and the number of their representatives in the governing body.
