FINAL BRIEF | AUGUST 2016
Typhoon Koppu & Melor
QUICK FACTS
$ USD 300 million
worth of damage to the agriculture sector
852 700 metric tonnes of crops lost, including rice, corn and high value crops
461 748 hectares of agricultural land affected in Central Luzon, the hardest hit region in terms of damage to agriculture
USD 180 million total production losses in Central Luzon
Sources: Typhoon Koppu Track Department of Agriculture, Typhoon Koppu Assessment, 3 November 2015 Source: OCHA Situation Report No. 5, 27 October 2015 Department of Agriculture, Typhoon Melor Assessment, 22 December 2015
Typhoon Koppu (local name: Lando) made landfall in Casiguran, Aurora Province on 18 October 2015, with maximum sustained winds of 175 kph and gusts of up to 210 kph. Areas within the 650-kilometer diameter of the typhoon experienced heavy to intense rainfall, triggering flash floods, landslides and intense flooding. Barely two months later (on 14 December 2016), Typhoon Melor (local name: Nona) struck, bringing heavy rainfall and flooding to the same provinces in Central Luzon that were hardest hit by Typhoon Koppu.
ASSESSMENT The rapid damage and needs assessment team presents The Department of Agriculture (DA) estimated that 461 748 ha of findings to the Disaster Risk Reduction and agricultural land were affected by Typhoon Koppu, including 409 554 ha Management Council in Pampanga on 26 October 2015. planted to rice, 30 556 ha planted to corn, 16 673 ha planted to high value crops and 4 879 ha devoted to aquaculture, in addition to damage to fisheries.
Damage to fisheries was estimated at USD 5.8 million, livestock at ©
FAO/ 1.8 million and agricultural infrastructure at 1 million.*
Philippines Approximately 508 506 metric tonnes of rice were either damaged or lost
due to Typhoon Koppu. Of this, at least 45 percent was in Nueva Ecija
Province (229 755 metric tonnes), valued at USD 69.3 million.* The three hardest-hit provinces in terms of total agricultural production losses were Nueva Ecija (USD 73.5 million), Tarlac (USD 28.7 million) and Isabela (USD 26.3 million).* Following Typhoon Melor, DA estimated that the three most affected
regions in terms of damage to agriculture were Region III (Central Luzon) ©
FAO/ at USD 41.8 million, Region V (Bicol Region) at USD 17.1 million and
Alberto Aduna Alberto Region II (Cagayan Valley) at 12.2 million. The hardest hit provinces in
Central Luzon were Nueva Ecija (USD 13.7 million), Tarlac (USD 14.7 million) and Pampanga (USD 9.2 million).**
The combined impacts of El Niño, typhoons Koppu and Melor were further A farmer in Nueva Ecija Province attempts to salvage aggravated by the loss of seed stock for the imminent planting season. what remained of her rice crop. This raised serious concerns regarding food insecurity, malnutrition and attendant health impacts on the most vulnerable populations. * Department of Agriculture, Typhoon Koppu Assessment, 3 November 2015 **Department of Agriculture, Typhoon Melor Assessment, 22 December 2015
Conclusions given herein are considered appropriate at the time of its preparation.
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FAO/Jason Gutierrez FAO/Jason
Rice farmers who received assistance from FAO reported higher yields than the pre-typhoon average. It is estimated that beneficiaries cumulatively harvested at least 99 200 metric tonnes of palay (paddy rice) and generated at least 59 500 metric tonnes of milled FAO SUPPORT rice, which can feed about 522 000 people for one year. FAO actively participated in the coordination meetings of the United Nations Humanitarian Country Team (UNHCT), In response to the request of DA and in consultation through which it provided updates on the Typhoon with its officials in the national office and Region III Koppu’s impact to the agriculture sector. FAO also (Central Luzon), FAO distributed certified rice seeds participated in the Technical Working Group meetings of and fertilizer to 18 900 households affected by the core UNHCT with the National Disaster Risk Reduction Typhoon Koppu. This was made possible by funding Management Council (NDRRMC). from the UN Central Emergency Response Fund, FAO’s As a member of the UNHCT, FAO supported the five-day Special Fund for Emergency and Rehabilitation Typhoon Koppu rapid damage and needs assessment of Activities (through the contribution of the Government Central Luzon led by NDRRMC, through the deployment of of the Kingdom of Belgium) and re-programmed its National Emergency Coordinator and a vehicle. FAO also savings from FAO’s Typhoon Haiyan Emergency, informed the DA of its readiness to assist in planning for Recovery and Rehabilitation Programme provided by response and in restoring the livelihoods of affected small- the governments of Ireland, New Zealand and Norway. scale farmers. With significant savings from the Typhoon Koppu Some line agencies of the Government of the Philippines Emergency Response, FAO also distributed assorted requested in-country support from UN agencies. FAO was vegetable seeds to 11 500 households and urea requested by DA to augment the farm inputs it is providing fertilizer to 13 490 households affected by Typhoon in order to cover all affected farmers. Melor. FAO convened a meeting of food security partners to FAO’s typhoon Koppu and Melor response reached coordinate possible additional support in augmenting 43 890 farming households (more than Government response. 219 000 people) in the provinces of Nueva Ecija,
Pampanga, Tarlac and Aurora.
GOVERNMENT OF THE KINGDOM OF BELGIUM
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/Nikki Meru /Nikki
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43 890 rice farming households in the provinces of Pampanga, Nueva Ecija and Tarlac received certified rice seeds and fertilizer that enabled them to re-plant their damaged farms.
FAO Representation in the Philippines 29th Floor, Yuchengco Tower, RCBC Plaza, 6819 Ayala Avenue, Makati City Tel. No: (02) 901 0363 | www.fao.org/philippines | www.fao.org © FAO, 2017 I6797EN/1/09.17