This study aimed to explain the water and food security-environment interactions in a dynamic setting brought about by climate change focusing on the Sta.Cruz watershed with the end goal of identifying water adaptation measures and policy recommendations to minimize the adverse effects of climate change and improve the welfare of communities. Based on available secondary information, focused group discussions, key-person interviews and field ocular inspections, an indicative assessment was made on the watershed’s water resources conditions and water supply utilization, the manifestation of climate change and potential impacts of climate change on water resources and crop production. Findings indicate that while the level of rice self-sufficiency of communities within the watershed is below 50 %, and that there are manifestations of pronounced rainfall variability as well as apparent reductions in the output of water supply sources, it appears in general, that the impacts of previous strong typhoons to their means of livelihood are not so serious or permanent to deny them the capacity to restore agricultural productivity within reasonable period or acquire food from other sources.
There are indications, however, that if the present rate of deforestation and non-sustainable agricultural production practices are not effectively controlled in the near future, frequent occurrences of more extremely strong typhoons and habitats will cause more serious and probably permanent damages to their agricultural production systems through more intense and persistent flooding, sedimentation and significant decrease in the output of water supply sources. Averting such grim scenario includes the following “no-regrets” adaptation measures: protection and enhancement of the watershed’s capacity to nurture its water resources through protection and reforestation of declared forest reservation or protected areas and promotion of sustainable agriculture mainly through enforcement of conservation farming technologies in sloping agricultural lands; improvement in the performance of existing irrigation systems; factoring climate change in the planning, design, and rehabilitation of water resources projects; and improvement in the generation and sharing of climate and hydrologic information.
For the effective and timely implementation of the above measures, the LGUs, being mandated as frontline agencies for addressing issues on climate change, should undergo more intensive “education” on climate change for them to be able to pass needed relevant resolutions and executive orders. Policy and institutional concerns would include the following: strengthening the river councils; promote and support the implementation of the existing Mout Banahaw-San Cristobal Protected Landscape; policies to encourage adoption of soil and water conservation technologies; economic/financial schemes for farmers to cope with impacts of climate change-related events; policies and programs on livelihood to improve household resilience.
