Philippines Serves as Pilot Country for the IWAVE Project
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Capitalizing on the unique advantage of nuclear technology, the Philippines joins the world in providing better access to clean and safe drinking water as it takes a pioneering role in the International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA) Water Availability Enhancement Project, or IWAVE.
The Philippines is the first Member State of the IAEA to participate in the project, followed by Oman and Costa Rica. IWAVE aims to build capacity in these Member States and assist them in gathering and using scientific information to fully assess the availability and quality of water resources, contributing to the United Nations Millennium Development Goal of halving the number of people worldwide without access to clean drinking water by 2015.
The Department of Science and Technology – Philippine Nuclear Research Institute (DOST-PNRI) implements the I-WAVE project in collaboration with the National Water Resources Board (NWRB), the Department of Environment and Natural Resources – Mines and Geosciences Bureau (DENR-MGB) and other water-based agencies.
In 2011, PNRI, NWRB and MGB, with contributions from other water agencies, began developing a Philippine Hydrological Gap Plan which agrees to fill the technology, expertise, infrastructure and investments needed. The report entitled “Investment Needs for Resource Assessment Capability in the Philippines to Improve the Planning and Management of Water Infrastructure” was completed in August 2012 and published the following month.
Read more: Philippines Serves as Pilot Country for the IWAVE Project
PNRI Hosts I-WAVE National Workshop on Isotope Data Interpretation
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Taking another step in supporting water agencies to provide our country with better access to water resources, the Philippine Nuclear Research Institute hosted the National Workshop on Isotope Data Interpretation under the International Atomic Energy Agency – Water Availability Enhancement (I-WAVE) Project from February 17 to March 7, 2014.
Renowned experts in the field of isotope hydrology served as resource persons for the training workshop. Among them are Dr. Bhishm Kumar, Dr. Matsumoto Takuya, and Dr. Luis Araguas of the IAEA Isotope Hydrology Section; Prof. Jeffrey McDonnell, University of Aberdeen, School Geosciences, Aberdeen, UK; Prof. Neil Sturchio, Department of Earth and Environmental Sciences, University of Illinois, Chicago, USA, and Prof. Ian Clark, Department of Earth Sciences, University of Ottawa, Canada. They provided lectures on the principles of isotope techniques application related to groundwater assessment and groundwater dynamics and facilitated hands-on training on the use of software for groundwater dating. Moreover, through their expert guidance, they engaged the participants in the processing of past and present isotope, chemical and hydrogeological data and in the interpretation of these data to come up with conceptual models of the recharge in their respective study areas.
Read more: PNRI Hosts I-WAVE National Workshop on Isotope Data Interpretation
PNRI Develops Wound Dressing From Honey
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The Philippine Nuclear Research Institute – Department of Science and Technology (PNRI-DOST) has developed an effective wound dressing from local honey sources in the Philippines.
Science research specialists from PNRI’s Biomedical Research Section are taking advantage of the antimicrobial properties of these local products to produce a cheaper and comparable alternative – if not a better one already – to antibiotics for treating exudating wounds and burns.
“Honey has, since ancient days, been used for medicinal purposes; its composition makes it a very effective agent for healing wounds,” said Biomedical Research Section head Zenaida De Guzman.
According to Ms. De Guzman, honey is ideal as a wound dressing not only for its antimicrobial and potentially anti-inflammatory composition, but also for its low pH level that is suitable for fast healing.
Its sugar content helps in the granulation of wounds, while its low moisture gives honey a longer shelf-life. Furthermore, honey’s low water activity helps the dressing draw out water and pus, thereby drying the wound and reducing the chances of infection.
