A comprehensive approach, adhering to the IWRM framework for projecting the demand-supply gaps across the country and for planning the development of new water sources should be developed not only to support the growing population, but also economic activity in growth centers -based on a viable national land-use plan. Extended dry seasons because of climate change would further exacerbate the demand for water, so that new water sources must be developed in a timely manner to ensure domestic water supply. This may adopt ecoefficient12 measures, including the reuse of excessive rainwater and recycled wastewater for nonhousehold purposes to rationalize water distribution.
Resource regulation shall be strengthened to ensure that surface and ground water supply sources are sustainably developed and utilized. Alternatives should also be identified and prioritized based on a value-engineering perspective, which optimizes options and timing of development to provide value for money and minimize cost to consumers.
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12 Ecoefficiency is having "more value with less impact on the environment"; it emphasizes monitoring of material and energy flows of stocks and life cycle assessment. While eco-efficiency has been successfully integrated in industrial and business processes, its application in water infrastructure development will require the establishment of both physical and non-physical infrastructures (i.e., policies, institutional framework, financing, etc).