The Philippines and the UAE have joined forces to restore the Pasig waterway, the world’s most polluted river, the Philippine Department of Foreign Affairs said on Monday. The Philippines’ Department of Environment and Natural Resources signed the agreement with the UAE-based non-profit Clean Rivers Foundation on the sidelines of the World Government Summit in Dubai last week in a ceremony witnessed by Philippine First Lady Luisa Araneta-Marcos, reported Khaleej Times.
Clean Rivers Foundation to clean up Pasig River
The agreement will provide a framework for projects that support the improvement of the Pasig River and prevent waste from flowing into it, which will also help preserve the river’s ecosystem, expand economic opportunities and boost tourism. In a 2021 study published in the journal Science Advances, the Pasig River, which flows through the heart of the Philippine capital, was ranked as the most polluted river out of more than 1,600 others worldwide.
The Philippines is also the largest contributor to plastic waste entering the world’s oceans, dumping more than 356,000 tons annually, about 63,000 of which comes from the Pasig River. The agreement also expands the partnership between the Philippines and the UAE to areas that prioritize preserving and improving the environment for a sustainable future. As part of the partnership, Clean Rivers announced a commitment of up to $20 million to Philippine programs aimed at restoring the Pasig River and supporting initiatives that prevent waste from flowing.
NGO BAN Toxics and Clean Rivers Foundation Collaborate
The UAE’s Clean Rivers Foundation pledge will also help support sustainable solutions for communities living along the Pasig River, as it restores its ecological, commercial and residential value. With plans to create green infrastructure to capture waste and projects aimed at stopping pollution at its source, the partnership marks an important step towards a cleaner and healthier Pasig River.
For Philippine environmental NGO BAN Toxics, the new collaboration with the UAE is a welcome first step in restoring the waterway. They hope it can do something useful to rehabilitate the Pasig River, which has historically been a victim of environmental degradation. While efforts to prevent waste from flowing are helpful, Jashaf Shamir Lorenzo, deputy executive director of BAN Toxics, said such projects would be more effective if they addressed the root cause of the pollution problem.