San Salvador, July 17 (teleSUR-RHC)-- The director of El Salvador’s Civil Protection agency declared on Friday that the country was heading toward a national emergency before the growth of the “El Niño” phenomenon which will provoke a strong drought at the end of the year and throughout the next one.

Declaring the state of emergency state would generate security and stability to the population regarding the potential deterrent effects of the drought on the territory. “We are realizing a complete inventory which will allow us to determine measures to implement and levels of alert,” said Director Jorge Melendez. “The president (Salvador Sanchez Ceren) ordered to prepare a plan of preventive measures, including all ministries and institutions,” he added.

Measures include the purchase of basic cereals and goods in order to avoid scarcity. Melendez said that it was not yet too late to prevent the potential negative effects of the drought. He highlighted the importance of campaigns of awareness, as the population could as well participate in generating social changes. “We cannot shut the eyes before the perspective of a global climate change, of which we have already been informed, that the world heads toward a global warming of temperatures,” he added.

In his opinion, drought will be generating significant issues in communities, which is why it is important to launch the social precautions that seek to protect the well being citizens. These changes resulted not only from governmental bills but also with the population modifying its life style.

The drought will affect not only the farming sector but also the water-bearing stratum, which have been reducing in size in recent years.

Honduras, Guatemala, and El Salvador have all been experiencing extreme drought since this spring that shows no signs of abating. Those who have been affected the most have been subsistence farmers, farm laborers and low-income families.