Water Quality Index as Exposure Indicator for Addressing Climate Change Vulnerability of Selected Communities in Negros Occidental

Abstract

Access to and quality of water have been major concerns for communities that are at risk because of climate change impacts. The importance of having sufficient supply of good water quality is vital for the community. The study focused on assessing water quality and presenting the parameters via a Water Quality Index (WQI), which would look at the source and discharge among selected communities of the province of Negros Occidental and provide the community with an indication of what needs to be addressed for their community needs. The WQI for the communities noted a general outcome for “Acceptable” quality for both the source and discharge water, which shows that the condition of the water source indicates low exposure. Analyzing the WQI and its component parameters provided insight on areas of satisfactory quality and those that require attending to, which can be done through policy-making, engineering intervention, and education.