We all need clean water.

People need it to grow crops and to operate

factories, and for drinking and recreation. Fish and wildlife depend on it to survive.

Many different pollutants can harm our rivers, streams, lakes and oceans.
The three most common are soil, nutrients and bacteria. Rain washes soil into
streams and rivers. The soil can kill tiny animals and fish eggs. It can clog the gills of
fish and block light so plants die. Nutrients, often from fertilizers, cause problems
in lakes, ponds and reservoirs. Nitrogen and phosphorus make algae grow and can
turn water green. Bacteria, often from sewage spills, can pollute fresh or salt
water.

In the recent studies of the Department of Environmental and Natural

Resources, they added water hyacinth as pest and water pollutant as it invades and
chokes up waterways causing flood and problems to the locals and the
environment. Further, provide a growing field for mosquitoes and screens off
sunlight that is required by aquatic flora and fauna.
Water hyacinth is a free-floating perennial plant that can grow to a height of
3 feet. The dark green leave blades are circular to elliptical in shape attached to a
spongy, inflated petiole. Underneath the water is a thick, heavily branched, dark
fibrous root system. The water hyacinth has striking light blue to violet flowers
located on a terminal spike. Water hyacinth is a very aggressive invader and can
form thick mats. If these mats cover the entire surface of the rivers they can cause
oxygen depletions and fish kills. Water hyacinths should be controlled so they do
not cover most part of the river.

Water hyacinth has no known direct food value to wildlife and is considered
a pest species.

Multi-faceted Threats
 Water hyacinth can cause a variety of problems when its rapid mat-like
reproduces and covers areas of fresh water. Some of these common problems are
mentioned below:

1. Hindrance to water transport.Canals and freshwater

rivers can become impassable as they clog up with densely
intertwined carpets of the weeds.

2. Clogging intakes of irrigation, hydropower and

water supply systems. Water hyacinth causes blockages
to the flow of electricity, flooding, and equipment damage.

3. Increased disease in the habitat: Malaria, degue, and

water borne parasites and other water borne diseases
increase as the water hyacinths provide habitats for
mosquitoes.

4. Increased evaporation and transpiration of

water. It has been discovered that water loss can be as
much as 1.8 times that of evaporation from waterways free
of these plants.

5. Fishing opportunities: Access to sites becomes difficult

when weed infestation is present. Fish populations
decrease as water begins to lose oxygen and sunlight.
Populations of crocodiles and snakes increase. In areas
 where fishermen are barely able to sustain themselves
from this industry, this is an economic disaster.

6. Reduced biodiversity: When water hyacinth thrives, it

out competes other aquatic plants. This causes an
imbalance in the micro‐ecosystem resulting in reduced flora
and the fauna that depend on it. Localized water quality
also deteriorates which may be harmful to people who rely
on the waterway for drinking water.
The Boons and Fortune Things of Water Hyacinth

Water hyacinth is seen as an invasive pest and is

responsible to many problems summarized earlier, thus, many
locals, groups, organizations, local government units and the
Department of Environment and Natural Resources conducted
researches and studies on the benefits that can get from this
plant.

Along their journey, they have found out that the stem,
leaves and flowers can be made into different materials. Below are
the products made from water hyacinth.

1. Paper and Yarn. In Bangladesh, they experimented with

paper production from water hyacinth for some years now.
They have established this project that makes paper from
the water hyacinth stems. The water hyacinth fiber alone
does not make particularly good paper but when the fiber
is blended with waste paper or jute, the result is a good
quality paper.
 The fiber from the stems of the water hyacinth plant can
be used to make rope. The stalk of the plant is shredded
lengthways to expose the fibers and then left to dry for
several days.

2. Fiberboard. In Dhaka, they developed a fiberboard that

has general purpose uses such as low cost roofing. The
process has many steps and the labor is intensive.

3. Basket work: In the Philippines and India, water hyacinth

is dried and used to make baskets and matting for homes
and the local tourist trade.

4. Fertilizers. Water hyacinth can be used directly from

harvesting or dried to be used to mix with the soil or as
mulch. It breaks down quickly and can be mixed with ash,
other soils and some animal manure to increase soil fertility
and crop yield.

5. Fish feed: Tilapia and silver carp consume aquatic weeds,

like water hyacinth