DENR warns against water shortage in Western Visayas

ILOILO CITY — The Department of Environment and Natural Resources in Western Visayas (DENR-6) is warning local government units (LGUs) in Western Visayas about the occurrence of water shortage with the extreme El Niño crisis projected to start this October.

“Let us not wait for rivers and watersheds here to dry up,” appealed DENR-6 Regional Director Jim Sampulna.

He admitted that the combined nine watersheds in the region with a total land area of 131,777 hectares will possibly dry up when the natural phenomenon occurs.

Instead of waiting for worst case scenario to happen, DENR-6 urged local governments in Aklan, Antique, Capiz, Guimaras, Iloilo, and Negros Occidental provinces to start adopting precautionary measures including campaigning to conserve waters.

“For instance, they should start harvesting rainwater while there is still rain,” he urged.

Sampulna has directed teams to monitor the nine watersheds in Panay and Negros Islands.

Negros Occidental has three, or the most number of watersheds among provinces in the region. These watersheds are the Bago River, Ilog-Hilabangan and Kabankalan Watershed Forest Reserves.

There are two watersheds in Iloilo province, namely, the Maasin Watershed Forest Reserve and the Jalaur River Watershed Forest Reserve.

Antique province also has two watersheds – the Mau-it-Tipuluan River and Dalanas River Watershed Forest Reserves.

Aklan province and Capiz has one watershed each - Aklan River and Panay River Watershed Forest Reserves.