Philippines Government to Develop Climate Change Map to Help Farmers Adapt
The government is in the process of making an integrated map that will provide farmers accurate and timely information on the impact of climate change on their harvested lands.
The initiative will help monitor the impact of slow onset temperature and rainfall changes, weather extremes and existing hazards for certain locations -- down to the barangay-level -- according to the Department of Agriculture (DA) statement released on Tuesday. In the statement, DA’s Climate Change Office director Alicia G. Ilaga said the map being crafted not only involves forecasts on temperature range and rainfall amount but also includes advisories as bases for farmers’ choice on what to plant and when to plant in specific areas. “Using integrated weather trends, we can analyze the [farm] technology suitable in certain land and weather conditions,” said Ms. Ilaga adding that a one-degree increase in night temperature can reduce rice yield by up to 10%. Corn is also affected by temperature rise.
Irish Typepad