El Niño seen to worsen in 2016 —PAGASA

There’s a chance that El Niño could get stronger by the end of the year until the first quarter of 2016, according to the Philippine Atmospheric, Geophysical and Astronomical Services Administration (PAGASA).

In a report on GMA’s Balitanghali, the Department of Agriculture (DA) hopes to address this problem by creating a committee to specifically tackle the ongoing El Niño.

According to a DA report, from September 2014 to August 2015, 100,000 hectares of land has been affected by El Niño. The United Nations Convention to Combat Desertification (UNCCD) reports that 2 billion hectares of land worldwide, particularly in Africa and the Middle East, has become degraded because of drought.

Dr. Silvino Tejada, Director of the Bureau of Soils and Water Management, said that drought not only affects livestock and agriculture, but also on society and the economy. Tejada said that the committee to be created by DA will be an interagency team that will tackle the formation of policies for drought management, but adds that if the government won’t provide adequate funds, the plan won’t push through. — Bea Montenegro/TJD, GMA News