University Initiatives for Food and Water Security in a Changing Climate

Highlights

• The development of peatlands should take into consideration their landscape characteristics, and farm-level crop production potentials in order to minimize greenhouse gas emissions (or conversely to maximize carbon stock accumulation in the ecosystem), and to optimize the productivity of cultivated species. Despite the fragility of peatland ecosystems, the application of appropriate management practices could reduce GHG emissions while contributing to ensuring food and water security.
• Hydrological modelling at the river basin or catchment level could provide substantial insights into effective mitigation and adaptation practices to ensure water and food security in upstream, midstream and downstream areas.  Such insights could significantly contribute to improving land and water use planning for various sub-catchment levels.
• Participatory management of irrigation systems provides a platform for increased community involvement in water resources management.  Although the transition from centralized management to community-based planning and implementation may take time and resources, university engagement may strengthen the incipient local development initiative.
• Conflicts in access to and/or availment of resources (e.g. minerals versus land and water for food production) and in the levels priority of access (e.g. domestic water use versus irrigation) have become more pronounced when juxtaposed with community level experiences in climate variability.  Scientists and policy makers need to review the criteria in coming up with decisions regarding the beneficial use of specific resource bases taking into consideration the water and food security requirements of their respective constituents within the context of a changing environment.
• The Bicol region of the Philippines is recognized as an area that is prone to extreme climate and geologic events such as typhoons, landslides and volcanic eruptions.  Responses to disaster risks include the development of production systems that are resilient to extreme events.  These include the design of buffering mechanisms for food production systems (e.g. rehabilitation and revegetation of mangroves, riparian ecosystems, and agroforestry farms), and of response procedures for the recovery of such systems (e.g. introduction of short gestation crops to address household food needs).