BUTUAN CITY(September 7) — The city government has declared a state of calamity over a severe water shortage affecting more than 91,000 residents, raising concerns over access to safe water for drinking, hygiene, sanitation and other basic needs, particularly among children and vulnerable households.
The Sangguniang Panlungsod (city council) approved Resolution No. 17-444-2026 on Saturday as prolonged dry conditions continued to disrupt water supplies across the city.
The Butuan City Water District (BCWD) reported on Sept. 4 that some 91,425 residents in 58 villages were experiencing low water pressure or no water supply.
BCWD said available water sources had fallen to a critical 37.36 million liters per day (MLD), far below the normal supply of 55 MLD.
“The shortage is linked to the prevailing dry spell in the province of Agusan del Norte, including Butuan City, which has suffered a significant rainfall deficit,” the resolution stated.
The Philippine Atmospheric, Geophysical and Astronomical Services Administration confirmed Agusan del Norte’s “dry spell” status as of Aug. 23. BCWD has since been rationing water across the city.
Children among those at risk
The water shortage is more than a public utility problem for families struggling to secure enough water each day.
For children, reliable access to safe water is closely linked to their right to health, sanitation and protection from preventable illness.
Limited water can make it difficult for families to maintain basic hygiene, prepare food safely and keep children clean. For infants, young children and those already vulnerable to illness, prolonged disruption in water access can create additional risks.
Water shortages can also affect children’s ability to attend school and participate fully in learning when households and schools lack sufficient water for drinking, handwashing, toilets and sanitation.
This makes continuity of essential water services particularly important during prolonged dry conditions.
Emergency resources mobilized
The state of calamity declaration allows the city government and barangays to mobilize additional resources and access quick response funds for immediate relief and emergency interventions.
These measures could support emergency water distribution and other assistance as the crisis continues.
From a child-rights perspective, however, emergency response must ensure that children and other vulnerable residents are not left behind in the allocation of scarce water resources.
Prioritizing areas with large numbers of children, schools, daycare centers, health facilities and communities with limited capacity to secure alternative water sources can help reduce the crisis’s impact on those most vulnerable.
The declaration also highlights the longer-term challenge facing Butuan and other communities affected by increasingly prolonged dry conditions: emergency water delivery may address immediate shortages, but protecting access to water requires sustainable management of water sources and stronger preparedness for climate-related disruptions.
For thousands of families in Butuan, the crisis is ultimately about more than turning on a faucet.
It is about whether children can drink safely, wash their hands, use clean toilets, eat safely prepared food and continue going to school—basic conditions essential to their health, dignity and development.
