Water a Priority for Porfirio in 2010

The drought will be a priority in 2010 under the leadership of Porfirio Lobo Sosa.

So said Roberto Martinez Lozano, a member of the Transition Commission for the new government. Martinez Lozano said the water problem will be a priority in the first 100 days in office of Lobo Sosa. International experts have warned of the climate problem affecting Honduras, highlighted by the severe drought that the nation suffered in the first quarter of 2010.

The Office for the Coordination of Humanitarian Affairs (OCHA), of the United Nations Organization (UN), has issued a warning in which they say that more than 200 thousand families will be adversely affected by famine due to drought. The situation is such that the UN agencies like FAO and WFP have announced the immediate availability to Honduras of 1.5 million dollars, despite the international condemnation of the political crisis.

The government’s Council of Ministers adopted a declaration of drought emergency on Tuesday in order to allocate a sum of 22.8 million Lempiras to SANAA as a palliative measure to address water shortages in the city. The government ordered SANAA authorities to immediately begin drilling wells to supply drinking water to those areas that are affected by water scarcity.

The capital has been hit hard by this situation, and Martinez Lozano said the water problem in the city is also due to negligence and irresponsible handling of the issue in recent years. Martinez Lozano is a former manager of SANAA, and reacted to the emergency drought declaration issued on Tuesday by the interim government saying, “Nobody can do in 24 days what could not be done in 24 months.”

“There was considerable neglect; much irresponsibility and neglect on the issue of drinking water,” the former manager of SANAA said. In his view, the first phase of the Guacerique II dam could be built during the first year of the new government.

Lack of water is due to the effects of the El Nino climate phenomenon of 2009, which produced a drastic decline in rainfall across the country.

“I believe if there is diligence and will, in a year we would have completed the first phase of the Guacerique II dam. We must solve the problem of drinking water in Tegucigalpa. There are several alternatives, but the most work that the new president can do is the first phase of the Guacerique II reservoir,” stated Lozano.

Martinez Lozano said the alternatives that could help to improve the water supply in the future include the construction of micro-dams to capture rainwater in areas surrounding the mountain of La Tigra.

The lack of water could unleash outbreaks of disease such as dengue, hepatitis and diarrhea, among others. It could also cause food shortages, especially in the municipalities that are located south of Francisco Morazan.

According to analysis by the National Weather Service (NWS) and the Permanent Commission of Contingencies (COPECO), shortages of basic grains will be acute from lack of rain in Choluteca, Valle, La Paz, Intibuca, some municipalities of Francisco Morazan, El Paraiso and Olancho in the coming months of 2010. The outlook is so bleak that the projection of rainfall for January in these departments is zero millimeters, i.e. not a single drop of water will fall, experts say.

“We see a very critical situation, because the El Nino phenomenon may extend three or four months into 2010. This indicates that the drought could continue until at least May or early June if there is no change in the tropical climate that governs the Caribbean,” according to Juan Jose Reyes, the head of Early Warning Copeco. “This indicates that we may be on the verge of a food shortage, and we are already taking steps to address the situation,” said the official.

Currently, the Los Laureles dam reports only 60 percent of their maximum capacity, while the Concepcion dam is at a mere 52 percent.


One Response to "Water a Priority for Porfirio in 2010"

  1. miraclemant  December 31, 2009 at 1:01 pm

    In a country with so much annual rainfall, that they should have a water shortage is absurd!

    Rather than spend the Lempiras on drilling new wells, it seems to me that capturing the stormwater runoff, building storage facilities and water purification plants makes more sense.

    But I understand that drilling new wells is the fastest and cheapest way to alleviate this problem. but then if the water table level continues to drop, each and every well will have to have the pumps pulled, and drilled deeper and deeper as the water table drops. This is NOT a long term solution.

    another problem I have witnessed all over Honduras is that so many people and businesses leave their water running 24 hours a day. If I was in charge of the water, I would start installing meters….. 1st in businesses and then residences until ALL water customers were metered. let those who use the most pay the most for the new enfastructure.

You must be logged in to post a comment Login