Key Findings:
• Using the Family Income and Expenditure Surveys of 2003, 2006 and 2009, matched with rainfall data from 43 rainfall stations in the Philippines, the report found that droughts decrease food consumption by 4%.
- Droughts have a widespread impact in rural areas, affecting agricultural and non-agricultural households alike.
- Access to communication, highways as well as to markets decreases the impact of erratic weather.
- Periods of drought affect food prices. In particular, prices of agricultural commodities tend to increase.
• Based on the distribution of the impact of droughts across regions, Western Visayas is the region most at risk to climate change, with an impact of 9%. The Ilocos region is also an area at high risk but with lesser impact compared to Western Visayas.
Recommendations: Policies that help reduce impacts of climate change are the same instruments in reducing poverty and promoting economic growth
• Investing in transportation and communications infrastructure for better access to markets;
• Investing in irrigation and or improved water management to deal with extreme rainfall occurrences;
• Investing in adaptive agricultural research and in information dissemination and extension services;
• Providing credit and developing insurance markets;
• Creating well targeted social safety nets systems such as conditional cash transfers, workfare programs and social funds.