Role of local government units in responding to climate risk in the agricultural sector: experience from Bicol, Philippines
2023
Faderogao, F.J.F. | Anastacio, N.J.C. | Rola, A.C. | Lapitan, A.V.
With the delivery of extension support as one of the devolved functions of local government units (LGUS) in the Philippines, they play a crucial role in the sustained growth of the agriculture sector amid the mounting risks posed by the rapidly changing climate. Recognizing the prospect of creating climate-responsive local agriculture sectors through LGUs, this paper highlights the experiences of three municipal governments in Bicol that engaged with the USAID-funded Bicol Agri-Water Project (BAWP). The project leveraged S and T [science and technology] and governance innovations to model the provision of climate information to local farmers toward enabling them to respond to climate variability, which negatively impacts their livelihoods. Provisioning of climate information like seasonal climate forecasts integrated into crop simulation models provided value-added information that helped farmers improve their strategic and tactical decision-making in agricultural management to minimize loss and maximize yield. A tool called CLEA, which refers to seasonal climate forecast and extension advisory, was disseminated to farmers in partnership with municipal extension offices. CLEA contained information about the six-month climate outlook, along with advisories on best planting dates, the occurrence of pests and diseases, and recommendations of good practice options (GPOs) for rice, livestock, and fisheries. The project also conducted climate field schools (CFS) for farmers to enhance their understanding of climate concepts, climate change, and best practices to mitigate climate impacts on farming. Local agricultural extension workers (AEWs) also played a critical role in the process as they helped link technical information in CFS lectures and CLEA to relatable and actionable in- formation for the farmers. Moreover, institutionalization and the enactment of local ordinances became key mechanisms that ensured the local adoption of CFS and CLEA in the three municipalities.
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Эту запись предоставил University of the Philippines at Los Baños