Adaptation and Coping Strategies to Extreme Climate Conditions: Case Study of Selected Sites Affected by Typhoon Frank in Iloilo, Philippines Rodelio F
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Adaptation and Coping Strategies to Extreme Climate Conditions: Case Study of Selected Sites Affected by Typhoon Frank in Iloilo, Philippines Rodelio F. Subadea,b, Emeliza C. Lozadac, Jorge S. Ebaya, Jessica A. Dator-Bercillad Andres C. Tionkoe, Jee Grace B. Suyoa,b, Farisal U. Bagsitb, Josefa T. Bascoa,b a. Division of Social Sciences, College of Arts and Sciences, UP Visayas, Miagao, Iloilo; b. Institute of Fisheries Policy and Development Studies, CFOS, UP Visayas, Miagao c. School of Technology, UP Visayas, Miagao, loilo d. Christian Aid Philippine Field Office, Quezon City e. Panay Rural Center Incorporated (PRDCI), Iloilo City Research Problem • The effects of typhoon Frank remains the biggest letdown of the Western Visayas economy affecting the gross regional domestic product of the region in its 3 major sectors (agriculture & forestry, fishery, industry and service. • The category 3 typhoon frank which visited Iloilo caused devastating floods & heavy rains killing many people and destroying crops and properties. • This rare occurrence, flooded more than 60% of Iloilo city and riverside communities in the various towns of Iloilo. • For many people, the impacts of climate caused-disaster was their first or among their rare experiences. • It is worth documenting how the people responded/adapted to the disaster. • It is also relevant to determine whether these people, their communities and even the local government units had opportunities to prepare themselves in adapting to such extreme climate occurrence. OBJECTIVES 1. Determine the socio-economic characteristics of communities in general and households in particular in areas vulnerable to typhoon-induced disaster in Iloilo. 2. Assess the nature and extent of vulnerability of these households and communities to typhoon induced disasters or hazards like flood and landslides. 3. Identify and analyze the adaptation measures/strategies and coping mechanisms being formulated and implemented by the households, communities and local government units to mitigate the impacts of natural disasters. 4. Determine the perception, level of awareness, preparedness of households, community, and local government units on natural disaster occurrence such as landslide and flooding due to typhoon. 5. Draw policy insights and recommendations for improving adaptive management responses of households and local government units to natural disasters, particularly typhoon related. Methodology • A pre-proposal consultation,pre-field discussion and wokshop with co-researchers identified the study sites which were affected by Frank, along the Magsapa Swagge river and Jalaur river sytems from upland towards the coast. • Six barangays were selected clustered into 3 groups-the upper swagge communities,the mid-swagge and the lower –swagge (this is the tail end of the river). • Fixed proportion systematic sampling with random start was employed to select 60 respondents ( who were affected by Frank) per site. • The respondents were household head and were personally interviewed. • A pre-tested questionaire was adapted from the work undertaken by Predo(2009. • Focus grooup discussions with at least 2 groups per study site was conducted. • Descriptive statistics was used to summarize the results. Philippine Map showing the location of Iloilo Province and the municipalities of study sites Janiuay Badiangan Pototan Dumangas Table 1. Study sites and main climate change adaptation measures Study sites Main SS adaptation Features Upper Swagge River Communities 1. Introduced adaptation strategies 1. Brgy. Sianon, Badiangan (Christian Aid site) 2. Brgy. Danao, Janiuay --- with CC adaptation and DRR assistance Mid Swagge River Communities Autonomous or none, with LGU initiated 1. Brgy. Guibuangan, Pototan 2. Brgy. Tuburan, Pototan Lower Swagge River Communities Introduced adaptation strategies (non- 1. Brgy. Bantud Fabrica Christian Aid site) 2. Brgy. Cayos, Dumangas --- with CC adaptation and assistance RESULTS A. Nature and extent of impacts of climate related disaster Typhoon Frank as been considered as one of the strongest and among the few typhoons which left huge damages and many deaths. The Iloilo Provincial Disaster Coordinating Council (PDCC) estimated a total of one billion pesos worth of damages in agriculture in Iloilo province alone, 800 million of which were damages on farms, while 230 million came from fisheries damages (Table 2). ITEM Damage/Amount (PhP million) MONETARY DAMAGE COST 1. Agriculture 1.1 Fisheries/Fish farms 230 1.2. Farms 800 2. Health facilities (e.g. hospitals) 2.1. Partially affected 12 2.2. Heavily affected 126 NON-MONETARY DAMAGE 1. Person 1.1. Dead 135 persons 1.2. Injured 1, 011 persons 1.3. Missing 69 persons 2. Houses 2.1. Partially damaged 50, 261 houses 2.2. Totally damaged 17, 035 houses DEMOGRAPHIC PROFILE OF RESPONDENTS Table 3. Desciptive statistics of independent variables ITEM PERCENTAGE Average age 48.12 Number of household members 4.81 Number of children 4.01 Number of years in school 8.71 Religion Catholic 91.4 Others (Baptist, IFI) 8.6 Civil Status Married 76.9 Single 9.2 Others (Widow/er, separated) 13.9 INCOME SOURCES Table 5. Top 10 income sources as reported by the respondents ITEM FREQUENCY PERCENTAGE FARMING 165 45.83 BACKYARD ANIMAL RAISING 47 13.06 REMITTANCE/PENSION 40 11.11 PAMUGON (ODD JOBS) 32 8.89 LABORER 25 6.94 FISHING 15 4.17 NONE/rely on spouse 15 4.17 DRIVER 14 3.89 CARPENTER 82.22 SMALL STORE OWNER 71.94 Typhoon Frank affected many of the surveyed respondents across sites for this study. The most cited impacts were effect on economic conditions and cause of poverty, and damage to property. Fourteen percent of the respondents suffered house damage (partial or total) while agricultural lands or farms of 19% of the respondents were inundated (Table 6). ITEM Dumangas Pototan Janiuay/ All Badiangan Cause of poverty 16 40 27 83 (13.3) (33.3) (22.5) (23.05) Damage to property 37 29 13 79 (30.8) (24.2) (10.8) (21.94) Damage to agricultural lands or 31 29 8 68 farms (25.8) (24.2) (6.7) (18.90) Damage to house 42 9 1 52 (35.0) (7.5) (0.8) (14.44) Cause of family inconvenience 11 15 17 43 (9.2) (12.5) (14.2) (11.9) Loss of livelihood 11 17 7 35 (9.2) (14.2) (5.83) (9.72) Loss of backyard animals 18 9 1 28 (15.0) (7.5) (0.8) (7.78) Converting the reported impacts on monetary damages, respondents provided estimates as shown below. These are however limited to those which they could give numerical estimates and were classified as: damages on household property and appliances, agricultural lands and animals, and loss of livelihood. Total damages amounted to PhP17, 404.75 per household which is 22% of estimated annual household income. 18,000.00 16,441.67 16,000.00 15,790.51 14,000.00 12,000.00 9,723.37 10,000.00 8,000.00 6,000.00 4,000.00 2,000.00 0.00 household property agricultural lands and loss of livelihood and appliances animals Average number of days respondents were able to recover from the effects of typhoon Frank. 160 143.28 140 120 100 80 64.94 60 55.13 41.22 40 20 0 DUMANGAS POTOTAN JANIUAY-BADIANGAN All RESULTS B. Perceived impacts of Climate-related Disaster All of the respondents experienced loss in one way or another due to the flood which explains the lower scores they gave for the “after the flood” scenario. Respondents perceived a negative change in the condition of households after the flood. 9 8.04 8 7.18 7 6.4 5.99 5.77 5.8 6 6.44 5.71 5.75 5 4.32 4.56 4.72 4 4.36 4.05 3.86 3.61 3 1.75 2 1 1.23 0 Well being of HH Access to land Access to water Access to Access to credit Household Employment Household risk Overall state of coastal fishery income opportunity and natural resources vulnerability resources and environment Before the flood Immediately after flood Comparison of scores between “immediately after the flood” and “at the time of the interview” revealed significantly positive changes across all indicators. This implies that the affected household have somehow recovered from the impacts/effects of typhoon Frank. 9 7.9 8 7.08 7 5.94 5.82 5.66 5.52 6.44 6 5.39 5.75 5 4.4 4.72 4.56 4 4.36 4.05 3.86 3.61 3 2 1. 5 8 1 1. 2 3 0 Well being of HH Access to land Access to water Access to coastal Access to cr edit Household income Employment Household r isk and Over all state of fisher y r esour ces oppor tunity vulner ability natur al r esour ces and environment Immediately after the flood at the time of survey C. Awareness of households on climate change phenomenon and climate change induced disasters More than two thirds of the respondents (69%) were aware of the climate change phenomenon and more than half (63.3%) have knowledge about sea level rise. Almost all of the respondents know about the risk and threats associated with natural disasters. Mean level of awareness of climate change and sea level rise are also above average. 100 92.5 90 80 68.6 70 63.3 60 50 40 30 20 10 6.12 5.84 0 Climate Change Sea Level Rise Risk and threats from na tura l disa ste r Aware Mean level of awareness Prior experiences of households in low lying areas have increased their awareness of the ill effects of flooding to their community. Other hazards, namely, landslide, storm surge/sea level rise, and coastal erosion registered below-average awareness scores possibly because (a) these hazards have not yet occurred in the area or (b) the intensity of the occurrence is low, hence, they are not considered as immediate threat to the community.