Monitoring Climate Change in The Philippines

In the farm fields of the southern Philippines, something is changing. In recent years, the rains are too heavy; the sun shines too fiercely. “If you plant corn and it is too hot, the corn will not grow well. If it’s too wet because of too much rain, the corn won’t grow well either.” “The heat has caused the soil to crack. Our rice grains are so tiny, and have a reddish tint. They didn’t mature.” Working with the civil defense authority and regional scientists, and with the help of the ILO, the government installed early warning systems in farm communities to warn people when heavy weather is on the way. The villagers were also were trained to monitor rain and water gauges, and alert the operations center and their neighbours at the first sign of flooding. “What’s good about a community-based approach is that people have ownership. And because they themselves gather the information, they understand the rainfall trends.” The early warning system includes automated weather monitoring stations installed throughout the province. The documentation provided by the system, known as the “CCAP Weather Index” makes it possible for the government to insure the most vulnerable farmers against crop damage due to extreme weather. Some farmers have already benefitted from the “WIBI” insurance scheme. When dry conditions destroyed much of the rice crop, the data gathered by the monitoring system was enough for a quick payout from the government. “Because of the money from the insurance payout, we will have enough to keep the farm going, and recover our losses during the next harvest in November.” As extreme weather becomes more commonplace, these farmers now have an extra barrier against disaster. They are not only learning more about the effects of climate change, but if their crops are damaged by flood or drought, their traditional livelihoods are protected.