Agriculture, land use and environmental impacts

Food Security

Although food security has been investigated in the Philippines for the past 25 years, analysis tends to focus primarily on linking dietary requirements to poverty. While this form of assessment has provided food insecurity indexes, it does not address the multifaceted nature of food security in the province of Cavite. According to Department of Tourism, Cavite province has one of the highest annual population growth rates at 6.47% and population density of about 10.16 persons per hectare. Due to rapid industrialization and migration from NCR, it is expected that population in Cavite province will continue to increase in the next couple of years.

Questions that need answers are as follows: How do we improve the stability and sustainability of food system within the context of the changing population structure in Cavite province? How might the link between agricultural production including fishery and product distribution impact food security? How might models exploit social, economic and physical constraints faced by farmers to minimize food shortage and environmental degradation? What are the sources of growth and productivity in the agricultural sector?

Housing needs

In the housing market, evidence shows that affordability problems, credit risks and information asymmetry has produced a market failure and justifies government intervention. There have been suggestions on the form the intervention may take: housing subsidies and community mortgage programs. While these interventions may provide access to low income groups, they do not address the larger issues of sustainability in the context of increased demand for housing in Cavite.

Questions that need answers are as follows: How do we address the problems of sustainability in funding programs within the context of changing population structure in Cavite province? How might models be used to predict demand for housing in a market with both poor and rich as participants? What is the status of housing demand in Cavite?

Community development, Urbanization and Migration

The province of Cavite is expected to experience massive population increase due to Cavite’s high birth rate and proximity to NCR. As the NCR population expands,suburbanization process will intensify. As migration from NCR to Cavite province increases, less agricultural land will be available for cultivation which may threaten food security and contribute to high unemployment rates. Ultimately, the attendant problems of overcrowding, decreasing arable land, poverty and pressure on the infrastructure must be addressed.

Questions that need answers are as follows: How do we develop a population-based intervention that addresses the sustainability of physical and social environment in Cavite province? How can community development efforts such as off-farm activities at the community and household levels evolve to provide economic opportunities to the growing poor population in Cavite province? Are there community concerns that can be addressed using available resources in the community?

Garbage Disposal

Garbage disposal is one of the most serious problems in urban centers in the Philippines despite the existence of different laws and policies governing such. In Cavite, the local government prepared the Environmental Code under the Provincial Ordinance No. 43-S-2008. Among the salient features of the code are articles on waste management, air and noise pollution management and environmental impact assessment, among others. Despite the existence of environmental code and regulations, garbage disposal in Cavite remains a big concern.

Questions that need answers are as follows: How can we help the local government strengthen the implementation of the policies and regulations governing waste disposal including, collection, transportion and recovery systems? How can the volumes of waste generated be transformed into recyclable materials? What are some means and ways to educate the community regarding waste segregation at source, composting and recycling? How can the community translate waste into income-generating materials and renewable energy?

Environment, Health and Safety

One way to jumpstart environmental issues is to make the community part of the problem-solving process. Hence, a key component may include but not limited to awareness in health and safety at the community level; and empowerment of the local communities to manage their indigenous natural resources on a sustainable basis for their own benefit and economic development.

Questions that need answers are as follows: How can we sustain emission monitoring system from transport and industrial sectors, and develop emission reduction programs? What are the management strategies to address the ongoing problems on proper waste disposals which contribute to the health and safety of the community? How can we get all stakeholders to participate in the use and development of natural products from indigenous sources? How can we improve development of community health services?

Water problem

Among the bodies of water, rivers have been the most important water body to many human activities such as fishing, irrigation, transportation, bathing and recreation, and even waste disposal. Region IV has the biggest number of classified water bodies with 88 and 40 principal bodies of water. Despite the huge water resources, Cavite faces problems in terms of water quality. The Imus river alone, classified as class C failed in terms of its Biological Oxygen Demand (BOD), which implies that a significant component of the riverine system cannot sustain its biological resources.

Questions that need answers are as follows: How do we improve the water quality of the province, vis-à-vis its water resources? What are some strategic and innovative means to be developed for the sustainability of good potable water supply for Cavite’s increasing residents? How do we monitor the use of water resources in industries, agriculture and other business establishments?

Climate change, biodiversity conservation and food safety

With modern technology and development, the demands of the growing human population and man’s wasteful and unsustainable use of earth’s resources have dramatically affected the climatic condition of the earth. These have caused the vast release of carbon in the atmosphere which eventually causes an imbalance with carbon usage, thereby resulting in climate change. Climate change affects the marine and terrestrial life and their biodiversity. This eventually affects plant growth, animal farm and agricultural production, which put food security at stake.

Questions that need answers are as follows: How do changes in our environment affect the many species of plants and animals in the Philippines in general and Cavite province in particular? What are the environmental issues in Cavite that affect its own biodiversity? How does climate change and disturbed biodiversity affect food security? What are the best practices that Cavite initiates and implements in terms of conservation efforts? How can Cavite achieve carbon neutrality to mitigate climate change?

Flood Control

Floods are caused by a variety of factors, both natural and man-made. The perennial problem of flooding in low lying areas is brought by improper disposal of rubbish in residential areas. Overpopulation and conversion of land to an impervious surface in an urbanized area may significantly reduce groundwater recharge and affect the balance of hydrologic cycle. Cavite being one of the fastest growing urbanized centers in the Philippines is expected to experience severe flood crisis as population growth and surburbanization intensifies.

Questions that need answers are as follows: What are the repairs and maintenance system in place for severe flood damage? Are these structures effective for flood control operations, disaster risk management and drainage system?

*NOTE: The above descriptions are exerpts from the Cavite Development Research Program. View the entire document here.

Research @DLSU-D