THE Department of Social Welfare and Development (DSWD) is set to expand its Local Adaptation to Water Access (LAWA) and Breaking Insufficiency through Nutritious Harvest for the Impoverished (BINHI) projects nationwide within the year to help mitigate the impact of the El Niño phenomenon, assistant secretary Irene Dumlao said yesterday.
Dumlao said Project LAWA and Project BINHI will be rolled out in 310 municipalities and urban centers in 61 provinces across 16 regions within the year.
She said that more than 140,906 families, or an estimated 704,530 individuals, are expected to benefit from the programs, which include putting up 1,319 water harvesting facilities that will cover at least 6,630 hectares of agricultural land.
“Through Project LAWA and BINHI, the DSWD seeks to address the multifaceted challenges posed by water scarcity and food insecurity,” she said, adding; “DSWD is committed to proactively address the challenges posed by climate change and ensuring the welfare of the most vulnerable communities amid dry spells. As El Niño strengthens, we are scaling up our efforts to enhance communities’ resilience and safeguard their well-being.”
The pilot implementation of Project LAWA involves nine local government units in Ifugao, Antique, and Davao de Oro provinces, which has resulted in the establishment of 90 small farm reservoirs that benefited some 4,590 families in 2023.
Under Project LAWA, the DSWD enhances water access and management in communities prone to drought and water shortages by constructing small farm reservoirs, repairing or rehabilitating water harvesting facilities, and diversifying water supplies, among others.
