In hot water

Cagayan River, the longest river in the Philippines, overflowed during the last typhoon with catastrophic consequences. Floodwaters submerged many houses and stranded thousands of

residents on roofs.

The National Irrigation Authority was forced to open the Magat Dam’s spill gates to prevent it from bursting from too much water. Unfortunately, this aggravated the flooding and caused agriculture and infrastructure damage worth P5 billion in Cagayan Valley alone, as estimated by the National Disaster Risk Reduction and Management Council.

Residents and local of ficials were enraged by the opening of the dam’s floodgates, which prompted a Senate investigation. During the hearing, a Department of Public Works and Highways official came up with an ironic solution to control the river’s overflow: Build five more dams, one each for the major tributaries of the 505-kilometer-long river that also traverses the provinces of Nueva Vizcaya, Quirino and Isabela.

Considering that dams have to release water whenever rivers overflow, sometimes causing man-made floods that endanger lives and damage property, the idea of building more dams to control flooding seems ridiculous at this point.

Yet if too much water is a dreaded problem in the Philippines every typhoon season, it’s exactly the opposite in South Africa.

The country’s capital of Cape Town suffers from perennial water shortage due to dry spells.

The prognosis for that country is scary with the reality of global warming. A study by experts at the University of Cape Town says the chances of a drought hitting Cape Town will triple by 2100. The same study published last week in the journal Environmental Research Letters offers a sci-fi tactic that scientists believe could cut the possibility of dry spells by 90 percent.

The researchers proposed dimming the sun with a cloud of gas generated by pumping vast quantities of sulfur dioxide into the atmosphere above Cape Town. The gas cloud would deflect sunlight and prevent the water supply from drying up from very hot weather.

The plan seems plausible as no experts have challenged its feasibility. There’s just one catch though: In exchange for avoiding dry spells by tampering with the climate, South Africa may get the heat from other nations.