Atin Ito First Filipino Community Newspaper in Ontario
A strong El Niño now prevails.
Thus, declared the Philippine Atmospheric, Geophysical, and Services Administration (PAGASA) on Wednesday, Nov. 22.
Strong El Niño is a weather phenomenon in which the average sea surface temperature in the equatorial Pacific is at least 1.5°C.
PAGASA said El Niño increases the likelihood of below-normal rainfall conditions. This could bring negative impacts, such as dry spells and droughts in some areas of the country that will adversely affect key climate-sensitive sectors—water resources, agriculture, energy, health, public safety, among others.
The state weather bureau had earlier forecast that El Niño may well extend to the second quarter of 2024. It said the peak intensity of El Niño may be experienced between November 2023 and January 2024
In anticipation of the El Niño, President Marcos convened in April 2023 government agencies which have stakes in the weather phenomenon to come up with a national action plan. His two specific instructions were: one, to adopt a whole-of-government or whole-of-nation approach, and two, to put up protocol-based and scientific long-term processes that could be adopted by the country.
Last September, a draft of the El Niño National Action Plan (NAP) was released. Under the draft NAP, it was recognized that El Niño—which may bring about dry spells, dry conditions, and droughts—poses threats to water supply, agriculture, electricity, health, and public safety. Key interventions and cross-cutting concerns were also identified so these could be pursued by several agencies working through a whole-of-nation approach.
We express hope that by this time, the NAP has already been finalized so it could now be immediately set into motion to cushion the impact of the strong El Niño that is now prevailing.
Immediate intervention is necessary to mitigate the impact of this weather phenomenon. A delayed reaction may result in adverse consequences.
While the National Economic and Development Authority (NEDA) had earlier assured that the current El Niño episode will not have a major impact on inflation as the government is well prepared for it, the lingering effect of this type of weather phenomenon pushed up inflation in June 2016.
In the 1990-1992 episode of El Niño, the estimated damage to fisheries alone was ₱4.1 billion (based on ₱24=US$1 exchange rate). In the 1997-1998 El Niño episode, estimated loss in the fisheries sector was ₱7.248 (based on ₱40=US$1).
But everyone should keep in mind that cushioning the impact of the El Niño phenomenon is not the sole responsibility of the government. This is a shared responsibility of every citizen of this country. Each one should play his or her role in mitigating its impact. A whole-of-nation approach is necessary.
We have to work together, we have to stay together to help cushion the impact of this weather phenomenon.
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Credit belongs to: www.mb.com.ph
