© dailynews.lkNot how we typically think of gorgeous Palau!
Drought-stricken Palau could dry up completely this month, officials warned on Monday (Apr 4) as the Pacific island appealed for urgent aid from Japan and Taiwan, including shipments of water. "We're still in the state of emergency, there's a sense of urgency to address the crisis," a government spokesman told AFP as the National Emergency Committee (NEC) met to discuss strategy.
An NEC report prepared for President Tommy Remengesau offered a bleak outlook for the already-parched country. "Based on the current water level and usage rates, and assuming conditions persist unabated, a total water outage is likely to occur in the next two to three weeks," it said. Access to tap water is already rationed to three hours a day or less in the capital Koror and schools are only open half days because they cannot give students enough to drink.
"The NEC has been in contact with the governments of Japan and Taiwan regarding support of materials and equipment, as well as direct shipments of water as necessary," it said. The Japanese embassy in Palau confirmed it had received a request for assistance and discussions were ongoing about what form it would take. "The nature of what type of assistance and in what volume is expected to be finalised as soon as possible," it said in a statement.
Palau also expects help from Taiwan, one of the few countries to maintain diplomatic relations with Taipei in the face of opposition from China. The NEC report added that the US military had been asked to supply portable water filtration systems to alleviate the increasingly desperate situation.
The US National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA) said last month the El Nino weather pattern - associated with a sustained period of warming in the central Pacific which can spark climate extremes - was unlikely to ease before the second half of the year.
The Marshall Islands and the Federated States of Micronesia have also declared states of emergency, while Guam and the Northern Marianas are experiencing low rainfall.
In Koror, bottled water has become scarce as people stockpile dwindling supplies. Resident Rolynda Jonathan said she constantly worried about her two children. "There are no words to describe the level of stress, worry and burden of hauling water from one place to another," she told AFP. "Every morning we struggle to shower, clean up and prepare for the day with the limited amount of water we have."
Channel News Asia....gotta free news scoop for ya! That exactly how we see Palau twice a day. Well, maybe a person needs a torch to catch it at night. But, it's still there.
Your pic is of a normal low to lower tide cycle in the lagoon. This is water of and from the ocean. The reef or bottom is exposed, again, routinely. Absolutely zero nada zilch to do with freshwater or rain water levels in the dam or river in Airai.
And anyone who bothered to look for information knew the drought was a real possibility last summer! And that possible water shortage showed its coming promise back in January. At the cost of walking to the reservoir. Into February and early March it was obvious to all but the most mentally challenged. Local leadership and goverment agencies didn't see much with their heads in the sand......or somewhere else. But hey, HELP!!, send free stuff...and fast man! This game of 'if it's yellow let it mellow; brown flush it down' is just too much.....
Still make for a good emotional string yanking news story! Good on ya, mate!!
Stay tuned as we turn on one another if the rains don't come.....or international bailouts due our negligence and ignorance.
Sulang