As early as April last year, the government has had its guns at the ready to effectively address the projected El Niño phenomenon.
The Philippine Atmospheric, Geophysical, and Astronomical Services Administration (PAGASA) in July reminded the public a strong El Niño would likely persist until February 2024, and that global climate models predict it would continue until May.
PAGASA has said the provinces to be hit by drought this month of March is also expected to go up to 30 compared to 24 by the end of February.
Below normal rainfall conditions or 21 to 60 percent reduction from the average for five consecutive months or way below normal rainfall conditions for three consecutive months will be experienced in drought-affected provinces.
PAGASA said 22 other provinces – five in Luzon, nine in the Visayas and eight in Mindanao – would experience dry spell while 15 other provinces will experience dry conditions.
The government’s El Niño task force earlier said 80 of 82 provinces would be affected by El Niño in April and May and, while El Niño has shown signs of weakening, PAGASA said there could be a delay in the onset of the rainy season in the country due to the pre-development of La Niña, which show a 55 percent chance of it developing in the next six months.
We find it encouraging that there are policy interventions in place to help mitigate El Niño and La Niña-related losses.
They include introducing drought-tolerant crop varieties, expanding irrigation, restricting rice exports, storing and distributing grains, expanding social protection coverage, and introducing food import subsidies.
Analyses have indicated that introducing all these policy interventions at the same time is by far the most effective at minimizing Gross Domestic Product losses during El Niño.
There are also oher measures like providing social transfers to protect vulnerable populations from welfare losses during El Niño.
Officials are on course in suggesting, and we agree, that the water management should be integrated in terms of agricultural production, industrial use and domestic use, as well as in water recycling and ecosystem restoration.
These are things being done and talked about by agencies, but we feel there should be a greater awareness, among all stakeholders, so that all LGUs, all national government offices and even private investments will be aware of the masterplan on water.
It is interesting that efforts of the government to standardize the country’s water management system is in alignment with the Sustainable Development Goals of the United Nations.