MANILA, Philippines — The Department of Agriculture (DA) on Wednesday said that it would employ a variety of projects to battle the El Niño phenomenon, ranging from hydroelectric plants to cloud seeding.
The DA said it would reactivate the inter-agency El Niño Task Force to mitigate the phenomenon’s effects on the agricultural sector. This is after the Philippine Atmospheric, Geophysical and Astronomical Services Administration (Pagasa) urged the public to brace itself for the dry season.
READ: Pagasa issues El Niño Watch; urges public to prepare for warm, dry season
“DA will set in motion strategies that aim to lessen the impact of the El Niño phenomenon to the agriculture and fishery industries and restore productivity in affected areas,” said the agency in a statement.
Some of these strategies include infrastructure like hydroelectric power plants, flood control projects, and irrigation systems, said the DA.
“Part of the government’s master plan to address El Niño is to save the vulnerable areas through appropriate water management, while irrecoverable areas will be rehabilitated. The DA will likewise maximize production in non-threatened areas. Massive information dissemination across locations will also be undertaken,” said the DA.
On top of the water management plan, the DA also said it would develop and rehabilitate water management systems like irrigation canals, diversion dams, and small-scale irrigation projects.
The DA is also eyeing cloud seeding, which the government has employed before.
“Cloud Seeding Operations will be conducted to augment rainfall. The technique involves the manual seeding of clouds with salt to modify the type and amount of precipitation that will fall on dams,” said the DA.
The agency, headed by President Ferdinand Marcos Jr., also encouraged using the alternate wetting and drying (AWD) method.
“Through this technology, farmers may reduce the use of irrigation water without sacrificing the yield. Under AWD, irrigation water is applied a few days after the ponded water has been used up,” said the DA.
Pagasa had said that El Niño would likely span six months and may persist until 2024, urging concerned government agencies to take precautionary measures.
RELATED STORIES
Pagasa: ‘Amihan’ season may end this week, warmer days coming
More extreme El Niño, La Niña events could drive global warming, study finds