A fair warning! POOR WATER MANAGEMENT COULD LEAD TO AGRI CRISIS

By Manny Piñol

In the High Level Meeting of Cabinet Secretaries on Water, I made a presentation which emphasized the threat of a looming water crisis, especially for Agriculture, if we do not act now.

There are three key elements in Agricultural Productivity – Land, Sunlight and Water.

Land and sunlight could be substituted with aquaponics technology and artificial light but there could never be Agriculture without Water.

Water Supply for Agriculture in the Philippines has been declining over the last few decades because of several major reasons:

1. Continued deforestation threatening the headwaters of major river systems in the country;

2. Frequency in the occurrence of “El Niño” which now hits the country after every two years;

3. Delay in the implementation of irrigation systems;

4. Absence of water conservation programs and water catchments and small impounding dams;

5. Reliance of Agriculture on traditional irrigation systems instead of embracing modern irrigation technology using Solar-Power.

Here are the long term recommendations of the Department of Agriculture submitted during the High Level Meeting on Water presided by Defense Secretary Delfin Lorenzana and attended by Cabinet Secretaries and heads of government agencies last Wednesday:

1. A national program to locate and identify headwaters which would be declared as protected areas;

2. Stricter enforcement of forest protection laws;

3. Dredging of major river systems to increase water holding capacity and prevent flooding during rainy season;

4. Passage of a law on National Soil and Water Conservation Program and giving the DA the mandate and funding to build small reservoirs, impounding and water catchments all over the country. (Please refer to pending bill by sen. Loren Legarda. 1621313441!.pdf)

5. Funding and implementation of alternative irrigation systems specifically the Solar-Powered irrigation Systems.

Unless these measures are implemented, the Philippines could face a major water crisis in the next few years.

#IgnoringGodsBlessings!

#EfficientWaterManagement!

(First five photos were downloaded from public websites while the last two photos were taken in Palma Perez, Mlang, North Cotabato showing a new Solar Powered Irrigation System which will be commissioned on Saturday.)