Philippine Groundwater Outlook or PHIGO
Groundwater monitoring is critical in ensuring water quality and quantity in every region. This is an essential component in environmental information systems and decision-making. The fact that water is one of our primary needs, the Philippine Groundwater Outlook or PhiGO Project of the Ateneo de Manila University has set underway.
PHIGO aims to deliver constant, consistent, accessible, and transferable assessment of climate, population, and land use change on regional groundwater resources, and their subsequent influence on flood, drought risks, and socio-economics.
The project intends to develop a near-real-time groundwater monitoring system that measures the following parameters:
- pH,
- temperature,
- electrical conductivity,
- total dissolved solids,
- salinity, and
- static water level.
The data are transferred to a cloud server and presented to the public through a web application.
The project focuses on 2 sites – The provinces of Iloilo and Pampanga. Both provinces are among those identified in the 1990s as water-critical areas.
Project Benefits
- Data will be used by stakeholders in coming up with policies and programs that address the needs of each area/region.
- Gives transparency to the public on the current state of groundwater in their locality.
- The commercialization of the system is in the works to share the fruits of this research with the people/institutions who are interested in water monitoring.
The PHIGO project hopes to:
- Deliver a greater understanding of groundwater dynamics and the need to manage and conserve water resources;
- Serve as a channel for decision-makers towards policy-making on the quality and quantity of groundwater in the Philippines;
- Restore groundwater resources and teach Filipinos the importance of maintaining safe water for everyone and for future generations.
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