Philippine gov't strengthens ecosystem protection against El Niño threat

The Department of Environment and Natural Resources (DENR) is strengthening efforts to conserve water, restore wetlands and protect marine life amid the threat of a potentially very strong El Niño.

DENR Secretary Juan Miguel Cuna said Thursday that nationwide conservation measures aim to help ecosystems withstand extreme heat and protect communities dependent on natural resources.

In Pampanga, the DENR removed 98,618.93 kilograms of solid waste, equivalent to 15,267 sacks, from waterways during a 10-day cleanup with the Department of Labor and Employment's Tulong Panghanapbuhay sa Ating Disadvantaged/Displaced Workers (TUPAD) program to prevent blockages in tributaries leading to Manila Bay.

In the Caraga Region, authorities are reforesting riverbanks and monitoring drainage canals at the Agusan Marsh Wildlife Sanctuary to prevent water loss and preserve wetlands that regulate water flow and store carbon.

In Masbate, DENR personnel monitor coral bleaching and fish kills every two weeks in Mobo and San Jacinto. They have also cleared waterways to maintain seawater flow through mangroves and prohibited boat anchoring and marine resource extraction in heat-affected coral reefs to aid recovery.

The DENR is also monitoring marine heat stress in Aurora, Bataan and Zambales, as well as water sources and waterways across Central Luzon, in coordination with local governments and other agencies.

Cuna stressed that wetlands, rivers and coral reefs help shield communities from extreme heat, while shallow coral areas and seagrass beds are particularly vulnerable to high temperatures.