Assessing the Adverse Impacts of Climate Change: A Case Study in the Philippines

Abstract

Climate-induced disasters, such as floods and landslides, have negative impacts on agricultural sustainability and food security worldwide. Our aim was to promote awareness of climate change, evaluate some of its adverse effects, and suggest methods that could help enhance agricultural production in two areas in the Philippines. Soil erosion was examined in Bukidnon province and a flood assessment was conducted in the Metro REINA (Real, Infanta and General Nakar) area in Northern Quezon. In Bukidnon, spatial dataset analyses were implemented using GIS and remote-sensing techniques. The corresponding factor values of each parameter were computed and encoded to spatial datasets before calculation. The extent of soil erosion was then classified into different categories. About 37% of the total land area of Bukidnon suffers from very high to very severe erosion. Many farms in this area are located on slopes, therefore soil conservation measures and the use of suitable crops enumerated in a previous paper authored by Adornado and Yoshida (2008) were recommended. The effects of flooding in the REINA area were evaluated by using multi-temporal satellite and elevation data. About 4,600ha, including rice fields, in REINA were covered by more than 39 million m³ of sediments ranging from 0.017 to 1.5m thick. We recommend basket farming and the use of deep-rooted plants in areas heavily covered by sediments. Crops that thrive in sandy soil should be planted in areas with shallow sediment deposits to re-establish farming in those areas. A better understanding of climate change and its effects could increase the chances of developing appropriate strategies to abate the negative impacts of climate change, thereby enhancing both food security and agricultural sustainability.