In partnership with the Department of Agriculture, the project aims to give more farmers water impounding systems.
Alvarez, who is also vice chairman of the commission, noted that if more water impounding systems will be made available for the agriculture sector, the country will improve its capacity to produce food even in times of drought.
Based on the Bureau of Soils and Water Management data as of December 2009, the country has 1,972 small water impounding system projects with diversion dams servicing an area of 78,626 hectares benefiting 60,894 farmer- beneficiaries.
“The Commission aims to address climate change for food sufficiency, among others, through an effective eco-system management under the River Basin approach, which is one of the vital components in the National Framework Strategy Program on Climate Change,” Alvarez said.
This developed while the commission urged residents in Luzon province to save rain water as drought-affected areas already started to experience rain showers.
Alvarez said people from all walks of life should now value water.
“The El Niño Phenomenon has instilled to each one of us the value of water and the implications of losing it”, said Alvarez explaining that because of the drought, farmers have failed to produce million metric tons of palay and corn while parts of the Metropolis experienced water rationing,
as high level temperature caused different diseases in affected communities.He said rain water should be saved for watering the plants, cleaning the garage and even flushing the toilet.
“With these efforts, people could limit the usage of water coming from the faucet and could help save the said commodity,” Alvarez said. - By Rhodina Villanueva
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