Puerto Princesa eyes cloud seeding amid ‘Super El Niño’

CALAPAN CITY— The Puerto Princesa City Water District (PPCWD) is considering cloud seeding to augment the city’s water supply as it prepares for the potentially worsening impact of the prevailing “Super El Niño.”

The Bureau of Soils and Water Management of the Department of Agriculture (DA-BSWM) had recommended cloud seeding following its initial assessment of the city’s water situation, said PPCWD General Manager Walter Laurel in a report from the Philippine Information Agency (PIA) office in Palawan.

Laurel said the water district was considering the measure partly due to the high cost of hauling water to residents when supply levels drop.

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READ: El Niño affecting 14 regions, agriculture sustains P6.87-B damage

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PPCWD has spent about P6,000 in diesel fuel to load and transport 10 cubic meters of water from a lorry truck for distribution, he said.

The expense prompted the water district to explore other measures to augment supply, including cloud seeding.

However, the Philippine Atmospheric, Geophysical and Astronomical Services local chief meteorological officer Sonny Pajarilla said cloud seeding would not guarantee rainfall over their intended areas. 

Pajarilla said cloud-seeding operations generally have higher success rates when they can cover wider land areas. This could pose a challenge in Palawan, which is relatively narrow compared with larger areas such as Northern Luzon and Mindanao.

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He also cited Puerto Princesa’s cloud-seeding operations in 2019, saying seeded clouds could move away from the target area because of prevailing winds.

“It is challenging to hit the target areas,” Pajarilla said, explaining that a cloud enhanced through seeding could be carried by wind before producing rain over the intended location.

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Pajarilla said a study of the benefits generated by the city’s previous cloud-seeding operations would be important in determining whether such intervention is feasible./coa

He nevertheless supported other possible measures to augment Puerto Princesa’s water supply, particularly if the effects of “Super El Niño” intensify.

The PPCWD is looking at November or early December for a possible cloud-seeding operation, when it expects more seedable clouds.

READ: ‘Very strong El Niño’ to persist in PH until early 2027 – Pagasa

Pajarilla, however, advised the water district to consider wind conditions during the planned period, noting that strong winds could push seeded clouds away from the target area.

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The proposed operation remains under consideration as PPCWD assesses the feasibility and potential benefits of cloud seeding alongside other measures to maintain water supply during prolonged dry conditions./coa