LET’S STOP SAND ENCROACHMENT

LET’S STOP SAND ENCROACHMENT

Sand encroachment is a real problem in the Philippines, even if the government does not seem to realize it yet. And if it does realize it, then perhaps it is still in a stage of denial—choosing to ignore it.

It could be a matter of definition, but I would say that lahar flows are also a form of sand encroachment. And if that definition holds true, then we must ask: why have many lahar areas in the Philippines not been rehabilitated? To say it bluntly, they have practically been abandoned. Drive through parts of Pampanga and Tarlac and you will see wide, desert-like stretches where once fertile land used to be.

That said, I think it would be fair to ask the government: what is it really doing about sand encroachment in the Philippines?

By law, the easement area—the public land strip from the shoreline—should be about 20 meters. Beyond that line, it may already be private or still public land. But here lies the problem: once sand encroaches beyond the easement, it destroys productivity. The ground becomes unfit for crops, or worse, the groundwater turns salty. As salinity increases, agriculture suffers, and so do the communities that depend on it.

This is not a theoretical concern. In the Ilocos Region, windblown sand dunes have buried portions of farmland and even crept into roads and houses. In Zambales and Pangasinan, mining and quarrying have altered natural sediment flows, pushing sand inland where it doesn’t belong. After typhoons in Leyte and Samar, sand has covered once-vegetated areas, leaving barren patches where rice once grew. And in tourism zones like Palawan and Mindoro, the clearing of mangroves and beach forests has allowed sand to drift freely with the wind.

So why does sand encroachment matter? Because it is not just a coastal issue—it is a food security issue. It is an economic productivity issue. And in the long run, it is a climate resilience issue.

The government should already have a nationwide sand encroachment program—if it doesn’t have one yet. This should include not only the mapping of encroachment zones but also real interventions at the barangay level.

There are solutions, if only we would take them seriously. Communities could stabilize dunes by planting coastal vegetation like pandan, vetiver grass, or even ipil-ipil. Coconut husks and recycled plastic waste can be woven into geotextiles to trap sand and keep it in place. Mangrove nurseries could be expanded to restore natural windbreaks. Modern tools like drones or satellite monitoring—yes, even involving PHILSA, our space agency—could track movement and identify hotspots before they worsen.

If we can talk about climate adaptation and mitigation, why can’t we also talk about sand encroachment and desertification? Because in a manner of speaking, some lahar areas already look like deserts. Shouldn’t the Department of Environment and Natural Resources (DENR) be on top of this? Or should it be BFAR, given that salinized water affects fisheries? Maybe the Land Management Bureau (LMB), NAMRIA, PHIVOLCS, or even DOST should take the lead. Whoever it is, the important thing is that somebody takes ownership of the problem and mobilizes the scientists we already have in this country.

The bottom line is this: we cannot afford to ignore sand encroachment. It is creeping up on us—literally—and yet it does not seem to have made it into our national agenda. If left unchecked, it could quietly erode not only our coastlines but also our food security and economic stability.

In my view, it is time to stop treating this as an isolated or local problem. It is a national problem that requires a national strategy. The science is clear: sand encroachment, when combined with climate change and human activity, can make productive land unproductive and coastal communities vulnerable. The question is—are we waiting for the day when parts of our country start resembling deserts before we take this seriously?

The government must act now. Attention DENR. Attention DOST. Let’s stop sand encroachment before it swallows more of our land, our livelihoods, and our future.

Ramon Ike V. Seneres, www.facebook.com/ike.seneres
iseneres@yahoo.com, 09088877282, senseneres.blogspot.com

11-20-2025