Laguna de Bay: Institutional development and change for lake basin management

Laguna de Bay is a large, shallow lake located near Manila, Philippines. The lake is drained by the Pasig River, which flows to Manila Bay. It periodically reverses direction, bringing saline water into this predominately freshwater body. The lake has historically been of great importance to locals who depend on it for fish and related livelihoods. Recently, it also has been considered a source of potable water for the Manila region. The intense land use in the watershed has caused enhanced siltation, and the lake has also been plagued by overfishing, intense aquaculture and water pollution from industrial and domestic sources. This paper overviews these issues and examines the role of the Laguna Lake Development Authority in developing and conserving the lake basin's resources. Two programmes related to fisheries development and an environmental user-fee programme to control water pollution are critiqued. Lessons learned from the nearly 40 years of experience managing this tropical lake also are presented.