USAID holds a Series of Online Webinars on Water Demand Management

As part of its continuing assistance on water and sanitation, USAID is assisting Cities Development Initiative (CDI) partner cities of General Santos, Puerto Princesa, and Tagbilaran in developing their Broad Water Demand Management (WDM) Agenda to address the gap between available supply and the increasing water demand. On June 4, 8, and 11, 2021, USAID hosted a series of sectoral orientation webinars on water demand management to key sectors who can influence the efficient use of water. A total of 237 representatives from the business sector, academe, non-government organizations, civil society organizations, people's organizations, professional groups, water security councils, and government agencies from the three CDI cities gained a deeper understanding of wide-ranging measures and practices on water demand management and the efficient use of water resources. Resource persons discussed several case studies including the conduct of supply inventory of water-efficient fixtures in Zamboanga City; the retrofitting initiative done by Universidad de Zamboanga; and the training modules and promotional WDM materials in various dialects that were developed by Western Mindanao State University. The participants were also presented with a snapshot of their city's Broad WDM Agenda relevant to their sector and were given the opportunity to discuss how they can contribute to the implementation. By the end of the sessions, each sector was able to draft a broad list of projects, plans, and activities to propel and support the WDM program in their respective cities which will strengthen the collaboration between the city governments and the various sectors in achieving water security.