Mainstreaming climate change adaptation in watershed management and upland farming in the Philippines

Similar to most developing countries in the world, the Philippines is highly vulnerable to impacts of climate related events such as tropical cyclones and ENSO. Impacts of these events are further aggravated by the deteriorating condition of the watersheds in the country. The most vulnerable sectors are the upland farmers who have very limited resources and who rely on rain as source of water for farming and domestic use. To reduce vulnerability of upland farmers to climate change and at the same time ensure that the watersheds can continue to deliver the environmental services foremost among which is water, adaptation strategies for the watershed and upland farmers need to be developed. The project aims to: 1) assess the impacts of climate variability and extremes and climate change to crop yield of 50 Landcare farmers in Lantapan, Bukidnon and water yield of Manupali watershed, Bukidnon: 2) develop adaptation strategies for Landcare farmers and concerned Manupali watershed managers/concerned institutions to minimize risks and maximize opportunities associated with climate change; 3) promote a multi-stakeholder approach in the formulation of climate risk adaptation through participatory approaches and capacity building of Landcare farmers and watershed managers; 4) develop risk communication products targeted for the watershed planners and Landcare farmers; and 5) contribute to the preparation of the Philippines' Second National Communication by providing case materials. The project utilizes a combination of methods to ensure delivery of outputs including multi-stakeholder forums and consultations, workshops, focus group discussion, computer modelling, and review of literature. Emphasis will be placed on active participation of stakeholders. Initial results of the study indicate that climate extreme and variability affect the crop yields farm income, soil quality and health of the upland farmers. Adaptation strategies undertaken by upland farmers to cope with the impacts depend on the nature of climatic event and the extent of their dependency on land based livelihood.