A state of calamity has been declared in Butuan City due to extreme water shortage caused by El Niño.

The Butuan City Council passed a resolution on Tuesday, May 21, 2024, placing the city under a state of calamity based on the recommendation of the City Disaster Risk Reduction and Management Office (CDRRMO).

The resolution said that based on PAGASA’s assessment and outlook for the month of May, the city experienced “way below normal” or more than 60 percent rainfall reduction in the last three months.

The prolonged drought caused the dam at Taguibo Watershed in Barangay Anticala to dry up. This is the water source of the Butuan City Water District (BCWD).

With the reduction of rainfall, the normal water supply has dropped significantly from an average of 56.5 megalitres per day (MLD) to 48.49 MLD and its flow rate is continuously decreasing.

The resolution also said the shortage of water supply has affected 15 percent of the population and 30 percent of the means of livelihood in agriculture, business, and industrial sectors.

The state of calamity declaration will allow the local government to access the 30 percent quick response fund to address the problem.

A water rationing system has already been implemented already by the BCWD.