Agricultural Climate Change - Essay Example

8 August Agricultural Climate Change Summary It may be d that Luzon is highly susceptible to multiple hazards and this is made worse by the high population density. Furthermore, it has also been shown that poverty is rife in the region, so rice farmers who depend on a climate change-prone activity are likely to be affected economically. Their entire livelihoods depend on conducive weather, yet global warming and climate change cannot guarantee this. If no mitigation is done, it is likely that the environment will be degraded by extreme weather events and alterations in rainfall patterns. It may also lead to food insecurity and hunger in parts of the Philippines that depend on Luzon for rice products. Introduction The region chosen for analysis is Luzon in the Philippines while the product of choice is rice. Luzon is one of three island groups found in the Philippine archipelago; the country’s 7,100 islands are clustered together into three key groups. The rice bowl of the Philippines is located in Luzon with about 6 provinces that produce the major crop. Three key climate change issues affect this region; typhoons, rainfall shortages and floods. Since farmers in the region have limited resources, even minor reductions in crop yields could affect them economically. Consumers who get rice from Luzon may also experience reduced supplies and might need to consider other providers. Warehouses, distribution challenges as well as the likelihood of production in the future could be undermined. These issues are posited to increase if little is done to mitigate those effects. How climate change will affect rice production in Luzon One of the most significant producers of rice in the country has been adversely affected by the presence of typhoons as it is located in a region that is particularly susceptible to this sort of risk. Farmers in Luzon usually grow rice on small farms, which are owned by families; most of them are less than 4 hectares, so any extreme weather events have a major effect on the economy of the concerned farmers. In the recent past, Typhoon Haiyan affected the region along with other rice-growing regions in the country; this was in 2013. The typhoon occurred during the harvest season thus affecting about half of rice production in the region. It estimated that the country suffered from a shortfall by recording a reduction of 900,000 tons of rice. Other typhoons that have occurred in the region include Yolanda, Pepeng and Ondoy. In the world, it has been reported that the Philippines is the sixth most vulnerable nation in terms of Typhoons. This emanates from its geographical features as it is too close to water bodies owing to the archipelago. Scientists explain that the Philippines is right in the middle of the Pacific ring of fire; this is an area that has the two primary tectonic plates of the world. The Pacific Basin has a typhoon belt in the western north part, and Luzon region is found right at the heart of the region. Geologists affirm that this is the area where most tropical cyclones either start or enter. A typhoon can be very destructive; there is a 1:4 chance that every typhoon is of such a nature (Manalac 48). When typhoons hit Luzon, they tend to cause an adverse destruction of property, plant cover and other assets that rice farmers rely on. This implies that in addition to having diminished crop yields, farmers also have to deal with challenges in distributing their crops to different regions of the country or other external destinations. They may also struggle to market their products because they may have fewer resources needed to do so. Floods are also another risk factor that rice farmers must contend with. In the year 2010, it was estimated that the Central part of Luzon lost about Php 60 million worth of crops in the area owing to El-Nino (Rudinas e. al. 14). It is likely that the risk of flooding will increase if no efforts are made to mitigate the phenomenon. The Manila observatory has shown that rainfall patterns are going to change in the coming future through their maps, so this may lead to huge loss in agriculture. It is likely that they will become more intense in Visayas and Luzon, so farmers need to be more prepared. Too much water often emanates from rises in sea level and this has the effect of inundating the soil as well as salinizing it. Since Luzon is also surrounding by water bodies, it also susceptible to tidal changes. The high population density also makes the area highly susceptible to this problem in the future. Estimates indicated that Luzon and the Philippines in general is position 5 in terms of vulnerability to sea level risk, especially because of the 14 million people that may be affected by it (Rudinas e. al. 14). This makes it difficult for rice farmers to plant their crops effectively. Even those who rely on water irrigation may have difficulties because it leads to soil salinization as well. Overall, this could also affect crop yields and hence the reliability of rice from Luzon as other regions of the world may be sourced for provision of rice even for consumers in the same region. Hunger may be a possibility for individuals located in these areas. Rainfall shortages also have an adverse effect on rice farming in Luzon over the past few years. In 2007, a dry spell was experienced in parts of Luzon when rain was supposed to be prevalent (Yumul et. al. 638). As if this was not enough, parts that were supposed to be dry became wet owing to the inter-tropical convergence immobility. The situation was alarming to many farmers because many of them were accustomed to excess water, but this time they had to contend with water scarcity. It has been estimated that famers do not depend on rainfall alone as a water source for planting especially because rice is such a demanding crop for many of them. A number of them have already got into debt in order to purchase diesel needed to operate their irrigation pumps. Scientists explain that rainfall shortages mostly emanate from changes in agricultural seasons as well as alterations in rainfall patterns. It is estimated that in the future, dry seasons could be extended if the climate change effects are not mitigated (Alavarez 4). Excessive rain shortages in certain season will lead to diminished water for rice plants due to high evapo-transpiration. This may imply that pests will be more likely to attack crops. It may also affect the quantity of rice yields and reliability; even though the Philippines is a net exporter or rice, with continued rainfall shortages, it is likely that it have to do more importing. These climatic conditions could make rice from Luzon less reliable for its key market sources. It will also increase the need for irrigation, which will put a strain on the economic conditions of the concerned farmers who may not be able to sustain the practice (Gonzales 125). The table below is an illustration of the key weather changes in Luzon and their impact Climate Change Impact Consequences for food systems Typhoons – increase in frequency and severity of the same -Damages crop yield and this minimizes yields -Destroys forests which maintain water table balance -Affects water access -Increases the costs of distributing rice Rainfall shortage and longer dry spells -High evapo-transpiration, which minimizes water available for rice paddies -Increased pest attacks -Increased reliance on irrigation -Diminished rice supply for key markets -More imports for those who need it Floods -Damages crops and farmer’s property -Reduced crop yields -Degrades the amount of cultivable land by salinizing soil. -Salinizes the water sources Source: (Alvarez 8) All the above extreme weather events are likely to affect rice farming is a series of areas other than production. Farm to market roads are often compromised during typhoons and floods, so this will affect transportation of products. Additionally, the status of warehouses owned by third parties or even farmers themselves may not do well in extreme weather events like floods or typhoons. This means that there will be minimal reserves left for those involved. Irrigation infrastructure may also be tampered with when foods and typhoons occur. It is likely that collateral damage will be incurred by individuals who have farm equipment needed to carry out various aspects of rice production. Even industries can be affected by these events as they rely on rice as a raw material for production. Conclusion Luzon is a region in the Philippines that has garnered the top spot for production of rice; therefore its susceptibility to climate change risks that cannot be ignored. Studies show that the area is particularly prone to typhoons, rainfall shortages and floods. Typhoons emanate from the geographical location of the area while rainfall shortages and floods can come from sea level changes. Rice farmers who do not adapt to these risks are likely to have challenges in their crop yields as they will report fewer quantities. This could also spark of a series of chain areas in the whole rice supply chain; it may also perpetuate environmental degradation and thus sustainability of the crop in the future. Stakeholders in the region need to equip their farmers in order to prevent potential damages in the future. Works Cited Alavarez, Adelina. “Agricultural adaptation to climate change: The Philippine experience.” Workshop on Agricultural Adaptation to Climate Change 22 November 2012: 2-12. Print. Gonzales, L. “Rice production and regional crop diversification in the Philippines: Economic issues.” Philippine Review of Economics and Business 24.1(2001): 125. Print. Manalac, Sharon. Effect of climate change in rice production: Central Luzon, Philippines. Diliman: University of the Philippines, 2007, Print. Rudinas, Joel, Esteban Godilano and Alicia Ilaga. “Implementing climate smart agriculture.” Paper presented to the ASEAN, 3 May 2014: 14 Print. Yumul, Graciano, Nathaniel Cruz, Carla Dimalanta, Nathaniel Servando and Flaviana Hilario. “The 2007 dry spell in Luzon (Philippines): its cause, impact and corresponding response measures.” Climatic Change Journal 100: 633-644. Print. Read More