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Agri reform group urges LGUs to invest in early warning systems


An agricultural policy reform group urged officials in Compostela Valley and Davao Oriental to invest in early warning systems and development plans based on climate risks management to equip farming communities against extreme weather conditions such as Typhoon Pablo, which devastated the region in December. The Rice Watch and Action Network (R1) said that local and provincial governments should ask for support from the national government to establish climate resilience field schools and automatic weather stations in their areas. R1 also said that LGUs should arm Mindanao farmers with the necessary knowledge to help them make informed decisions on the most viable crops to plant as a way of diversifying from one of their main crops, banana. At least 18 percent of the hectarage planted to banana in the region was damaged or destroyed by Pablo. R1 pointed to its own collaboration with the LGUs of Irosin, Sorsogon; Gerona, Tarlac; and Tubigon Bohol on its “Integrating Climate Risks Management into Local Agriculture Development Planning” project. “We have seen how the project produced local development plans in agriculture that are premised on climate change adaptation and disaster risk reduction. These are important for Compostela Valley and Davao Oriental, for they may have to rethink their development plans since their farms are dependent on a single crop or in monocropping of banana or coconut,” said R1 convenor Aurora Regalado on Wednesday. Regalado said that LGUs should draw up agriculture development plans based on identified climate risks threatening the communities, and work with  PAGASA to set up local automatic weather stations. “With extreme weather conditions creating unimaginable havoc to lives and properties in different parts of the country, we encourage other local governments to...put matters into their hands through planning of interventions. We only need to tap the appropriate government agencies, break some of the bureaucratic layers, and identify ways of working together,” said Regalado. — BM, GMA News

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