Opposition Leader Manasseh Sogavare questions the government’s drought response as El Niño impacts worsen across Solomon Islands.
The Parliamentary Opposition questions the GREAT Government’s preparedness as drought crisis deepens across the country.
While acknowledging the Government’s activation of the National Drought Contingency Plan through the National Disaster Management Office (NDMO), leader of the Official Opposition, Manasseh Sogavare MP, questions whether the response is adequately resourced and effectively coordinated to meet the escalating long dry season and its growing impact on communities across the provinces.
The Leader of the Official Opposition urged the government to address the escalating humanitarian and environmental impacts of the current El Niño event, projected to be one of the strongest on record.
Sogavare said, the drought impacts are worst in remote communities around the country. Almost all provinces are reportedly experiencing acute water shortages, food security and health risks.
“The government must move beyond routine monitoring and into a phase of pro-active, intervention. Our people in the Western, Central Islands, Guadalcanal and other Provinces are already reporting dried-up wells, dead marine life, and people falling ill from diarrhoea due to unsafe water. The time for delivery is now.”
Citing the latest meteorological data, the Opposition Leader noted that the sea surface temperature anomalies are well above the El Niño threshold, with forecasts indicating the event will persist into 2027. He warned that the combination of below-normal rainfall and unusually low sea levels is creating agricultural drought on land and severe ecological stress in enclosed lagoon systems, threatening both food security and marine livelihoods.
He adds, given the increased risk of waterborne diseases (typhoid, cholera, dysentery) and vector-borne illnesses like malaria, the Ministry of Health must consider deploying rapid-response teams with water supplies and medical provisions to remote communities, schools and clinics suffering from lack of water.
The Opposition Leader said, with low root and cash crops, the Ministry of Agriculture must release drought-resistant seeds and initiate a food distribution program for communities facing imminent harvest failure.
Mr. Sogavare reaffirmed the Opposition’s commitment to a proactive constructive parliamentary oversight and urged the government to provide a detailed statement on the specific timelines and logistics of the drought response.
He urged Solomon Islanders to heed the Solomon Islands Meteorological Service’s warning that El Niño conditions are forecast to persist into early 2027. Communities across the country are encouraged to remain alert, conserve water, prepare for prolonged dry conditions, and take precautionary measures to minimise the potential impacts of drought on their families, livelihoods, food gardens and water supplies.
SOURCE// Opposition Press Release
