CLIMATE CHANGE EFFECTS ON THE WATER RESOURCES OF THE BANAUE RICE TERRACES, A WORLD HERITAGE,

PHILIPPINES

Dr. Maria Rebecca A. Campos University of the Philippines

Open University

2015 OU International WaTER Conference

Oklahoma, USA 1

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3

Climate Variability Predictions (IPCC TAR, 2001; IPCC FAR, 2007)

4

• More intense extreme hydrologic events

• More frequent events

• More extreme events

Vulnerability to typhoons of different provinces of the Philippines

5

Responses to and Managing Risks due to Climate Change

6

• Adaptation

• Mitigation

• Coping

• Avoiding

• Technology/ improved practices

• Farm management practices

• Institutional measures (e.g. agri-insurance, calamity fund, etc.)

• Others

The Banaue Rice Terraces, a UNESCO World Heritage located in the Philippines, was built by the Ifugao indigenous upland communities 2,000 years ago.

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5 CLUSTERS

1. Nagacadan

terrace cluster

in the

municipality of

Kiangan, a rice

terrace cluster

manifested in

two distinct

ascending rows

of terraces

bisected by a

river

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2. Hungduan

terrace cluster

that uniquely

emerges into a

spider web

9

3. Central

Mayoyao terrace

cluster which is

characterized by

terraces

interspersed with

traditional

farmers’ bale

(houses) and

alang (granaries);

10

4. the Bangaan

terrace cluster in

the municipality

of Banaue that

backdrops a

typical Ifugao

traditional village

11

5. Batad

terrace cluster

of the

municipality of

Banaue that is

nestled in

amphitheatre-

like semi-

circular

terraces with a

village at its

base. 12

The rice terraces show the engineering skills and ingenuity of the Ifugaos, indigenous peoples who built

these.

13

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Irrigation is by means of mountain streams and springs that have been tapped and channelled into

canals that run downhill through the terraces.

15

However, climate change has affected the Banaue Rice Terraces as manifested by droughts triggered El Nino that led giant worms to erode the soil. 16

To protect their livelihood from farming from the impacts of extreme weather conditions intensified by climate change is exhibited by how they have adjusted their farming systems to adapt to the effects of constrained water resources.

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This is manifested in the central role of their traditional literary arts and beliefs in the form of songs, dances, folklore, spiritual beliefs, ecological wisdom, kinship orientation, sense of tribal awareness and artistic temperament.

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• The adaptive management practices of the Ifugaos in response to environmental conditions are planning for their subsistence or survival; organization in their culture (beliefs, traits and values); direction and leadership according to their orientations and practices; and control according to their faith and beliefs.

• The use of spiritual beliefs, rituals and ceremonies; ecological wisdom; forest protection; kinship orientation; sense of tribal awareness and peace pacts; artistic temperament; and survival were the approaches and prevailing practices to environment of the Ifugaos.

• The strengths and weaknesses of their beliefs, traits, values, practices and subsistence; and the adaptation process of their adaptive management and community were the bases of local resilience strategy to climate change.

Drawing lessons for the design of community based adaptation, planned interventions should also be based on practices that are already being implemented well by indigenous communities like the Ifugaos.

Moreover, since water is the most vital constituent in rice terraces farming, most of the activities being held by the farmers are concentrated on water/irrigation

management.

The study concludes that human and cultural adaptation involves a range of factors relating to ideology, techno-

economy and social organization, in addition to biophysical/environmental impacts.

The influence of gods, spirits and ancestors in the forms of

either human, animals or plants in the natural environment;

and being very superstitious, resourceful, self-reliant,

courageous, skilled, artistic in temperament, hardworking,

respectful, humble, simple, conservative, kind, graceful in

stature, heavily ornamented, generous, carefree/cheerful,

romantic, and kinship oriented were the traditional beliefs,

traits and values of the Ifugaos.

Repair of terraces

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Early Warning System IRI Regional Climate Forecast

Precipitation Temperature

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Typhoons in the Philippines

• Average of 20 typhoons annually occur

– Accompanied by strong winds, intense rainfall,

– Flooding occurs

Typhoon incidence map of the Philippines (Source: Manila Observatory)

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Crop Forecasting System Knowledge-based crop forecasting system framework

IRI SCFIRI SCFIRI SCFIRI SCF

Downscaled SCFDownscaled SCFDownscaled SCFDownscaled SCFProcessProcess--BasedBased

Crop SimulationCrop SimulationProcessProcess--BasedBased

Crop SimulationCrop Simulation

•• Planting DatePlanting Date

•• Planting DensityPlanting Density

•• Water ManagementWater Management

•• FertilizationFertilization

•• Other Management Other Management

MeasuresMeasures

CROPPING CROPPING

STRATEGIESSTRATEGIES

•• Planting DatePlanting Date

•• Planting DensityPlanting Density

•• Water ManagementWater Management

•• FertilizationFertilization

•• Other Management Other Management

MeasuresMeasures

CROPPING CROPPING

STRATEGIESSTRATEGIES

Satellite ImageSatellite Image

Yield ProbabilitiesYield Probabilities

Isabela

Los Banos

Bukidnon

CPF Plot of Yield at harvest (kg [dm]/ha)

Har yield kg/ha

550050004500400035003000250020001500

Cum

ula

tive P

robability

1

0.75

0.5

0.25

0

Yield ProbabilitiesYield Probabilities

Isabela

Los Banos

Bukidnon

CPF Plot of Yield at harvest (kg [dm]/ha)

Har yield kg/ha

550050004500400035003000250020001500

Cum

ula

tive P

robability

1

0.75

0.5

0.25

0

Crop Area EstimateCrop Area EstimateCrop Area EstimateCrop Area Estimate

Thus, both indigenous practices and modern technology are imbibed in the current management of the rice terraces in order to mitigate the impacts of climate change

The documented water management strategies are

• repair and maintenance of dikes

• use of PVC pipes to convey water from source to the terraces,

• use of irrigation canals.

RECOMMENDATIONS 1. Desirable and useful beliefs,

traits, and values should be sustained for environmental adaptation and survival. The heritage of the indigenous peoples in terms of effective and efficient environmental adaptation should be preserved and dignified by all sectors of the society.

2. Ecological wisdom, forest protection and resourcefulness should be practiced by all. These practices should be integrated in environmental awareness with public dissemination of information and documentation to be initiated by environmental agencies and educational institutions.

3. The Philippine government and non-governmental organizations should enrich the strengths of the indigenous peoples in terms of environmental adaptation; and initiate projects that will improve the modes of subsistence and knowledge; and reduce the beliefs in super natural, heavy dependence on physical environment, conservatism and shyness of the indigenous peoples.