ICT-driven decision support tools could lead to better and more effective crop production and risk and damage assessment in agriculture.

FAO Philippines has accomplished strategic initiatives that contribute to the efficiency and resilience of government units and communities to natural disasters by enhancing production and risk management in agriculture and improving disaster preparedness.

Leveraging ICT to support decision-making in agriculture and fisheries
In December, FAO Philippines completed the project, “Development of an Enhanced Production and Risk Management in Agriculture Integrated Decision Support System (EPRiMA)”, which was implemented in collaboration with the DA. The project empowered key actors to make more effective and timely decisions by providing them comprehensive and near real-time access to ICT-driven crop production and risk and damage assessment information and tools.

These ICT-based tools included dynamic cropping calendar for rice and corn directly linked to seasonal and short-range forecasts at provincial and municipal scale, a national agricultural drought monitoring system, use of unmanned aerial surveillance system (drones), protocol for rapid production and damage assessment using satellite and drone imagery, and an online platform for EPRiMA Integrated Decision Support System. For the latter, FAO facilitated the establishment of an EPRiMA data server and workstation housed at the DA.

For the fisheries sector, through its project, “Support to Aquaculture Resources Mapping and Development Planning through ICT-based Solutions“, FAO Philippines, in partnership with the Bureau of Fisheries and Aquatic Resources (DA-BFAR), developed and piloted an ICT-based aquaculture resources data inventory and mapping system called Aquaculture Resources System (AquaR) that helped enhanced BFAR’s aquafarm data collection system.

AquaR produces digital visuals of the aquaculture resources in a region through interactives charts and figures. FAO also assisted BFAR in developing business plans for aquaculture zonal development of selected high potential areas as well as for the mangrove crab industry in Catanduanes.

FAO also helped BFAR develop and implement an investment assessment approach for FLAs and Mariculture Parks, and formulate implementation mechanisms and guidelines to ensure efficient and transparent management and inclusive access to Special Fisheries Science and Approfish Tech Fund (SPS-ATF) and Aquaculture Investment Fund (AIF), which are meant to stimulate private investments in the aquaculture sector.

Mainstreaming agriculture in national adaptation plans
Also in December, FAO rounded up the Philippine component of the global project, “Supporting Developing Countries to Integrate the Agricultural Sectors into National Adaptation Plans (NAP-Ag)”. In the country, FAO worked closely with the DA, Climate Change Commission (CCC), National Economic Development Authority (NEDA), Commission on Higher Education (CHED), Department of Science and Technology - Philippine Atmospheric, Geophysical, and Astronomical Services Administration (DOST-PAGASA), University of the Philippines Los Baños (UPLB), and the Mindanao Development Authority (MinDA).

Nap-Ag is a multi-year initiative funded by the International Climate Initiative (IKI) of the Federal Ministry for the Environment, Nature Conservation and Nuclear Safety, and features a unique collaboration by FAO and the UNDP. The programme was also implemented in Colombia, Gambia, Guatemala Nepal, Kenya, Thailand, Uganda, Uruguay, Viet Nam, and Zambia.

In the country, NAP-Ag strengthened the technical capacities of institutions on NAPs in implementing climate change and DRR-mainstreamed approaches, particularly providing support to the establishment of the Climate and Disaster Risk Information Services Center for Agriculture and Fisheries. The initiative supported the development of NAPs-related information systems such as the Enhanced Seasonal Climate Products for Agriculture and Fisheries and the National Climate Information System for Agriculture and Fisheries in the Philippines, as well as economic valuation tools for monitoring and evaluation of climate change action (CCA) and disaster risk reduction (DRR) for agriculture and fisheries.

Nap-Ag also built the capacities of partners and stakeholders on the preparation/design of responsive, gender-sensitive, community-based CCA for agriculture and fisheries programmes. The project contributed as well to the updating of the Agriculture and Fisheries Modernization Plan (AFMP) with CCA and DRRM components. The updated AFMP has been integrated into the Philippine Development Plan and the National Adaptation Planning Process.