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CPAf Policy Brief College of Public Affairs and Development
(CPAf)
2013
Seizing Potential Opportunities Climate Change May Bring: the Seizing Potential Opportunities Climate Change May Bring: the Case of Sison, Pangasinan
Case of Sison, Pangasinan
Linda M. Peñalba Dulce D. Elazegui Jennylyn P. Jucutan
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P otential impacts of climate change on agriculture are usually perceived to be negative. In the case of Pangasinan, however, the projected change appears favourable to rice production. As such, the leaderships of the province of Pangasinan and the municipality of Sison should be able explore to potential benefits of the projected climate change in enhancing food security and livelihood of small-scale farmers. Being in the forefront of disaster risk reduction and management (DRRM) and climate change adaptation (CCA), the local government unit (LGU) should improve its capacity to be able to prepare and implement its plans. Availability of necessary support services and infrastructure will help the LGU and its constituents in increasing their adaptive capacity and harnessing the potential positive impacts of climate change.
Background
Studies have shown that climate change is unavoidable and the Philippines is already experiencing the effects of climate change. The intensity of typhoons has been increasing since the 1990s. The increasing rainfall and temperature changes will significantly affect agriculture, food security, and the livelihood of small-scale farmers. Climate change will particularly affect major rice production areas, such as Pangasinan, which ranks eighth among 80 provinces in terms of rice production. However, it is also among the top 20 vulnerable provinces to climate change impacts.
Local government units (LGUs) are in the forefront of disaster risk reduction and management (DRRM) and climate change adaptation (CCA). They are mandated under the law to prepare DRRM-CCA plans to avert the adverse effects of climate change or explore the opportunities that climate change may bring for the benefit of its constituents. The LGU should, therefore, be equipped with adequate knowledge and skills to be able to prepare appropriate DRRM-CCA plans.
Researchers from UP Los Baños conducted a study that projected climate scenarios for the province of Pangasinan and determined the potential impacts of climate change on food security and livelihood of
This policy brief was based on a study entitled “Climate Change Implications to Food Security and Livelihood of Small-scale Farmers” conducted by the College of Public Affairs and Development, University of the Philippines Los Baños, in partnership with the Local Government of Sison, Province of Pangasinan, and Pangasinan State University. This study was funded by the Climate and Development Knowledge Network (CDKN) through the Sustainable Mekong Research Network (SUMERNET).
ISSN NO. 2362-8499 ISSUE NO. 2013-01
“The LGU should seize the potential opportunities from projected climate change.”
small-scale farmers particularly in Sison, Pangasinan. The study also aimed to help LGUs in identifying appropriate adaptation strategies to avoid or minimize the potential adverse impacts of climate change.
Approach
The study estimated the potential impact of projected climate scenarios on rice yield in the irrigated lowland, rainfed lowland, and rainfed upland areas. Data were collected in 2012 through personal interviews with rice farmers in the three rice growing areas of Sison, Pangasinan; review of municipal reports; and discussions with LGU officials involved in DRRM-CCA. Climate projections for Pangasinan province were generated using the Statistical Downscaling Model (SDSM) while the potential impact on rice yield was estimated using the Decision Support System for Agrotechnology Transfer (DSSAT). It should be noted that these projections were based on assumed conditions that trigger climate change, such as socio -economic development and technological change.
Thus, LGU’s development strategies should conform with these assumptions to mitigate or enhance the potential impacts of projected climate scenarios.
Results
The study showed that Pangasinan may potentially benefit from the projected increases in temperature and rainfall in the years centred in 2020, 2050, and 2080. Temperature will slightly increase by 0.0044% to 0.0475% while rainfall will increase by about 0.4 to 5.0 percent in the future. These
projected changes seem to be favourable for rice production. Rice yield may potentially increase by 25 to 28 percent in the different rice production areas as seen in Table 1.
However, the ability of the farmers to adjust their farming practices and find supplementary livelihoods have to be enhanced so that they would be able to take advantage of the potential benefits.
Table 1. Average percent change in potential yield during dry and wet seasons in different rice ecozones in Sison, Pangasinan, Philippines from baseline to projected climate scenarios centred in 2020, 2050, and 2080
Cropping season/
Ecozone
Baseline (kg/ha)
Percent change 2020
(%) 2050
(%) 2080 (%) Dry season
Irrigated
lowland 3531.37 6.23 2.04 9.76 Rainfed
lowland 2687.73 3.43 1.85 9.13 Wet season
Irrigated
lowland 7168.33 2.90 7.13 6.58 Rainfed
lowland 7768.63 0.68 3.15 5.19 Rainfed
upland 2303.33 36.20 46.20 48.26
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Ms. Dulce D. Elazegui (left), project staff, led the Adaptive Capacity assessment with LGU officials and staff.
Past climate-related events such as flash flood brought by continuous rain, more intense typhoons, and prolonged dry spell have brought substantial losses particularly in rice producing areas of Sison.
These events contributed to the degradation of water channels (e.g., sedimentation of rivers) and also hindered the public sectors’ access to services and facilities.
Improving the LGU’s adaptive capacity would be crucial to abate the situation and help
farmers attain the estimated yield improvement with the projected climate change.
Likewise, the ability of the local government officers to prepare appropriate DRRM and CCA plans should be enhanced. The support of the local chief executive and legislators are crucial in the preparation and successful implementation of these plans. The Local Government of Sison has instituted DRRM and CCA-related governance structures, programmes, and policies which made the municipality ahead of other LGUs in terms of DRRM-CCA preparedness. The Municipality of Sison has established a DRRM office in 2012 and has appointed a full-time DRRM officer who had undergone training. The LGU has already prepared a DRRM-CCA plan based on the National Disaster Risk Reduction Management Council (NDRRMC) template.
Risk assessment, monitoring, and early warning system have been partially set up. Maps showing hazards, vulnerability, and landslide and flood- prone areas have been prepared. The LGU also conducted information, education, and communication (IEC) campaigns to raise farmers’
awareness about climate change and provided assistance after calamities. It also provided seed subsidies for corn and vegetable farmers during times of drought.
The LGU also encouraged them to plant drought- tolerant varieties of rice, corn, cassava, and vegetables. As a mitigation strategy, farmers no longer burn rice straws, instead, they use those in making organic fertilizer and vermi-composting.
Forestry laws such as those that combat deforestation and environmental degradation are strictly implemented.
Recommendations
The LGU’s capacity to respond to projected climate change still needs further improvement. It should further emphasize preparedness to avert disaster and seize the potential opportunities from projected climate change.
KEY FINDINGS
• The combined effects of projected climate scenario showed positive impacts on rice yield for all three rice ecozones.
• The local government of Sison, Pangasinan has already instituted DRRM and CCA-related activities and programmes but has to put more focus on preparedness.
• Planned climate change response strategies vary from hard to soft infrastructure, such as:
- Construction of dikes to prevent flooding
- Enhancement of bridges to adapt to future flooding
- Information, education, and communication (IEC) campaigns to raise farmers’ awareness about climate change
- Seed subsidies for corn and vegetable farmers during times of drought
Information campaign material in Sison, Pangasinan
Local government officials recognized the need for IEC programs to be improved and expanded.
Farmers and other community residents must be encouraged to attend public forums on climate change preparedness. The LGU should advise farmers to adjust their farming practices in line with projected changes in temperature and rainfall.
They should also adopt rice varieties appropriate to specific climatic conditions.
Furthermore, the LGU should provide the necessary support services and adequate infrastructure to help farmers adapt to the changing climate. Infrastructure development such as construction of dikes in critical areas should also be a priority.
The LGU should also focus on knowledge management, and set up a data management system to improve science-based decision and policy making. It should consolidate, regularly update, and systematically store DRRM and CCA-related data that should be fed into a management information system.
Lastly, the LGU should seek the assistance and cooperation of the private sector, the academe, and civil society organizations in mobilizing resources, IEC programs, and in implementing DRRM and CCA plans.
Photo credits:
International Rice Research Institute | irri.org Mike Gonzalez | en.wikipedia.org/wiki/User:TheCoffee
AUTHORS
LINDA M. PEÑALBA, Ph.D. (Project Leader) DULCE D. ELAZEGUI, M.Sc.
JENNYLYN P. JUCUTAN
College of Public Affairs and Development University of the Philippines Los Baños Laguna, Philippines
LAYOUT ARTISTS
Stoix Nebin S. Pascua
Samantha Geraldine G. De los Santos
[email protected] +63 (49) 536-3284 This document is an output from the Sustainable
Mekong Research Network (SUMERNET) programme funded by the Swedish Government through Swedish International Development Cooperation Agency (Sida) and by the UK Department for International Development (DFID) and the Netherlands Directorate for International Cooperation (DGIS) through the Climate and Development Knowledge Network (CDKN), for the benefit of developing countries. However, the views expressed and information contained in it are made by the individual authors and not necessarily those of or endorsed by the Swedish government, SIDA, DFID, DGIS, CDKN or the entities managing the delivery of the SUMERNET, which can accept no responsibility or liability for such views, completeness or accuracy of the information or for any reliance placed on them.
©December 2013. College of Public Affairs and Development
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