DYNAMITE FISHING

Dynamite fishing is the practice of using explosives to stun or kill schools of fish for easy collection. This often illegal practice can be extremely destructive to the surrounding ecosystem, as the explosion often destroys the underlying habitat such as coral reefs that supports the fish. The frequently improvised nature of the explosives used also means danger for the fishermen as well, with accidents and injuries.

The dynamite fishing is a dangerous process of catching many fish affect the bomb throwing in our oceans. The remained powder from the bomb can affect our water resources. It can also destroy those coral reef and other living things under the sea. 

Some of the chemicals used in making dynamites are not good for the human health. That’s why the government doesn’t allow this kind of fishing method because their coulod still be small traces of those chemicals which could cause some health problem to our body.

In the past years we have lots of fishes in our seas but because of these illegal activities many fishes are now endangered. Because most of the coral reefs in our country are destroyed, fish loses the place where they could reproduce. We will definitely lose a lot in our resources if this kind of activity will continue in the next years.

CORAL REEFS

Coral reefs are diverse underwater ecosystems held together by calcium carbonate structures secreted by corals. Coral reefs are built by colonies of tiny animals found in marine waters that contain few nutrients. Most coral reefs are built from stony corals, which in turn consist of polyps that cluster in groups. The polyps belong to a group of animals known as Cnidaria, which also includes sea anemones and jellyfish. Unlike sea anemones, corals secrete hard carbonate exoskeletons which support and protect the coral polyps. Most reefs grow best in warm, shallow, clear, sunny and agitated waters. Often called "rainforests of the sea", shallow coral reefs form some of the most diverse ecosystems on Earth

Coral reefs need clean, clear water to survive. When sediment and other pollutants enter the water, they smother coral reefs, speed the growth of damaging algae, and lower water quality. Pollution can also make corals more susceptible to disease, impede coral growth and reproduction, and cause changes in food structures on the reef

Urban and industrial waste, sewage, agrochemicals, and oil pollution are poisoning reefs. These toxins are dumped directly into the ocean or carried by river systems from sources upstream. Some pollutants, such as sewage and runoff from farming, increase the level of nitrogen in seawater, causing an overgrowth of algae, which 'smothers' reefs by cutting off their sunlight.

WATER POLLUTION

MANILA, Philippines – Plastic bags are the most common type of garbage found in Manila Bay, according to a waste audit conducted by environmental groups on Thursday, July 3, International Plastic Bag-Free Day.

The audit, organized by groups like EcoWaste Coalition, Greenpeace and Mother Earth Foundation, collected 1,594 liters of garbage, 23.2% of which were found to be plastic bags. Plastics in general topped the list. Of the total, 61.9% of the waste were made of plastic. Coming in second place as top pollutants were plastic wrappers which comprised 18.8% of the collected trash.

Nearly 2.2 million metric tons of of organic pollution are produced annually by domestic (48 percent), agricultural (37 percent), and industrial (15 percent) sectors. In the four water-critical regions, water pollution is dominated by domestic and industrial sources. Untreated wastewater affects health by spreading disease-causing bacteria and viruses, makes water unfit for drinking and recreational use, threatens biodiversity, and deteriorates overall quality of life. Known diseases caused by poor water include gastro-enteritis, diarrhea, typhoid, cholera, dysentery, hepatitis, and more recently, severe acute respiratory syndrome (SARS). The number of water-related health outbreaks including deaths reported in newspapers is going up. However, awareness regarding the need for improved sanitation and water pollution control, reflected by the willingness-to-pay and connection to a sewerage system where they are easily available, is very low.

The annual economic losses caused by water pollution are estimated at Php67 Billion (US$1.3 billion). These include Php3 billion for health, Php17 billion for fisheries production, and Php47 for tourism. Losses due to environmental damage in pollution, the Philippines has many water-related laws, but their enforcement is weak and beset with problems that include: inadequate resources, poor database, and weak cooperation among different agencies and Local Government Units (LGUs). A Clean Water Act is now being deliberated in the Congress..

Water Resources

The country is endowed with rich natural resources, including water, which are essential for the country’s economic development and in meeting its Millennium Development Goals (MDGs). Water resources of the Philippines include inland freshwater (rivers, lakes, and groundwater), and marine (bay, coastal, and oceanic waters). Overall, there is sufficient water but not enough in highly populated areas, especially during dry season.

The green groups categorized the garbage into 12 types:

• Plastic bags

• Composites or plastic wrappers

• Polystyrenes (like styrofoam, print cartridges, coat hangers, DVD cases)

• Plastic bottles

• Hard plastics

• Rubbers

• Metals and cans

• Glass

• Hazardous wastes

• Diapers and napkins

• Biodegradables

• Other discards

WATER SCARCITY

WATER SCARCITY & THE IMPORTANCE OF WATER

Clean, safe drinking water is scarce. Today, nearly 1 billion people in the developing world don't have access to it. Yet, we take it for granted, we waste it, and we even pay too much to drink it from little plastic bottles.

Water is the foundation of life. And still today, all around the world, far too many people spend their entire day searching for it.

In places like sub-Saharan Africa, time lost gathering water and suffering from water-borne diseases is limiting people's true potential, especially women and girls.

Education is lost to sickness. Economic development is lost while people merely try to survive. But it doesn't have to be like this. Its needless suffering.

WHAT IS WATER SCARCITY?

Simply put, water scarcity is either the lack of enough water (quantity) or lack of access to safe water (quality).

It's hard for most of us to imagine that clean, safe water is not something that can be taken for granted. But, in the developing world, finding a reliable source of safe water is often time-consuming and expensive. This is known as economic scarcity. Water can be found...it simply requires more resources to do it.

In other areas, the lack of water is a more profound problem. There simply isn't enough. That is known as physical scarcity.

The problem of water scarcity is a growing one. As more people put ever-increasing demands on limited supplies, the cost and effort to build or even maintain access to water will increase. And water's importance to political and social stability will only grow with the crisis. There are more than 26 million Filipinos without access to sanitary toilets, and only five percent of households are connected to sewer systems. Further, many poor households cannot connect to water systems due to high connection costs. Instead, they often rely on either unsafe water sources such as surface water or expensive sources such as informal water sellers.An assessment conducted by Water.org saw a significant interest in our WaterCredit model among microfinance institutions, water service providers and communities. Households are eager to invest in piped water connections, filters, wells, pumps, water tanks and toilets with septic tanks.The microfinance market in the Philippines has grown rapidly in recent years. Today, there are more than 90 registered microfinance institutions serving 5.1 million clients. Cooperatives, banks, nongovernmental organizations and non-bank financial institutions fuel continued microfinance sector growth, and sees great potential for the success of water and sanitation loans.

 ACCESS TO CLEAN WATER IMPROVES...

Education

When students are freed from gathering water, they return to class. With proper and safe latrines, girls stay in school through their teenage years.

Health

Safe water, clean hands, healthy bodies. Time lost to sickness is reduced and people can get back to the work of lifting themselves out of poverty.

Hunger

Access to water leads to food security. With less crop loss, hunger is reduced. Schools can feed students with gardens, reducing costs.

 Poverty

Access to water can break the cycle of poverty. The communities we serve are ready to grow. We can't wait to see how they choose to do it.