ISRAEL is offering innovative solutions to help the Philippines improve water resource management and conservation.

Israel’s Agency for International Development Cooperation and the United States Agency for International Aid shared with the Philippine government and local water concessionaires in the Philippines the expertise and experience of Israel on water resource management.

“Israel invested in technology to support the growing demand and urbanization in the country,” said Israeli Ambassador to the Philippines Ilan Fluss during a recent seminar.

The technologies, he said, “were introduced together with good policies and regulations that made Israel the leading country in the world in managing the water sector.”

“From desalination to reuse of sewage, minimum loss of water and more,” the ambassador said.

“Through this seminar, we hope that the Philippines’ key implementing agencies will gain insights from the Israeli experience and adapt them to local conditions,” he added.

He noted that Israel faced challenges in water conservation and management. The Middle East is a dry area and more than 50 percent of “Israel is actually desert,” he said.

The Israeli Embassy in Manila said National Water Resources Board Director Susan Abano shared the challenges that the Philippines faces as water availability continues to fall due to rising demand.

The embassy said that engineers Rodel Rik Tumanda and Jon Michael Esteban of Maynilad and Manila Water, respectively, as well as Metropolitan Waterworks and Sewerage System chief regulator Patrick Ty presented their perspectives on managing water scarcity.

“These were analyzed by the Israeli water delegation and presented advanced solutions to better manage the water sector of the country,” the embassy said in a statement.

“The Israeli companies highlighted Israel’s innovation and technology to inspire and encourage the Philippine water sector, businesses and local government units to invest in technologies that will help manage water sustainably,” it added.

Among the Israeli companies who presented their water technologies were ARAD Group, Atlantium, Okiana and Watergen. The firms offer cutting-edge Israeli technologies in advanced metering infrastructure, water and wastewater management and treatment solutions, water control solutions, and turnkey projects.