The ‘National El Niño Team’ is now developing various water conservation programs which seek to mitigate the effects of the looming dry spell in the country.
“Water conservation programs (will) be developed and implemented in national government offices,” read a statement of the team following its weekly meeting.
The team said the water conservation programs will be formulated by the Department of Environment and Natural Resources (DENR). It is also tasked to identify “geographically challenged” areas that will require augmentation of the supply of potable water.
The DENR and the Department of Agriculture (DA) are also tasked to work on the foreseen reduction in water allocation for the National Irrigation Administration (NIA) due to the possible decrease of water level in Angat Dam.
During its meeting, the Department of Science and Technology (DOST) was added as a new member agency of the team’s technical working group.
The team, composed of various government agencies directed to come up with measures to address the effects of the El Niño phenomenon, also emphasized that the DA will be tasked to prepare a comprehensive report on mitigation measures and interventions and to coordinate with the Philippine Rice Research Institute to gather data on drought-resistant varieties, among others. (PND)
