DENR, German firm hold water crisis photo tilt

By Alex Villafania INQUIRER.net THE NATIONAL Water Resources Board (NWRB), under the Department of Environment and Natural Resources (DENR), and the German Agency for Technical Cooperation (GTZ) have started a photo contest that aims to build awareness on saving the country's water resources, as well as highlight various water sanitation issues. The agencies are also being assisted by the private sector-led Philippine Water Partnership in promoting the competition. The "Water is Life" photo contest offers cash prizes of up to P25,000 for the top winner. In a statement, Environment Secretary Lito Atienza said the competition aims to stress the importance of water to Filipinos and make them realize that it is also their duty to ensure its availability. He identified several concerns causing water shortage, including over-extraction of groundwater and the pollution of rivers and lakes, as well as diminishing surface water from watershed and forest destruction. "Water is indeed a very scarce resource, and as the world experiences rapid population growth and urbanization, the demand for water will also increase causing serious consequences on the environment," Atienza said. The contest, which started early this month, is open to all Filipino amateur and professional photographers. Three major prizes will be awarded, ranging from P15,000 for third place, P20,000 for second place, and P25,000 for first place. Special prize categories include Water for Agriculture, Water for People, and Water for Sanitation, all of which offer P10,000 in prize money. The deadline for submission of entries is May 15. The winners will be announced on June 5 in time for World Environment Day. The DENR will hold a series of photo exhibits of the top three winners, special awardees and all finalists at selected malls in Metro Manila. The guidelines and entry forms may be downloaded from the NWRB and GTZ-Department of Interior and Local Government Water and Sanitation Program sites.