Beach nourishment in Boracay pushed

The provincial government of Aklan plans to revive its request for the Department of Environment and Natural Resources (DENR) to carry out a beach nourishment program here.

It believes that beach nourishment may solve the worsening beach erosion in the island resort, said Vice Gov. Gabrielle Calizo–Quimpo.

“Beach nourishment” simply involves an effort to get back white sand to the beaches using whatever mechanical tool.

The Capitol submitted a proposal on the program to the DENR last year but the agency failed to act on it.

Thus, the provincial government “will definitely ask the DENR once more to study the beach nourishment program we [suggested],” Quimpo said.

A marine geology professor at the University of the Philippines’ Marine Science Institute earlier reported that the prime tourist destination in the country has experienced an eight- to 40-meter loss of white sand in 20 years.

Among the reasons were the destruction of coral reefs, seagrass beds and mangroves.

Also, the sea level rise brought about by climate change worsens the erosion of the already retreating shorelines./