Unpacking the Climate Change Adaptation "Toolbox" of Rice Communities in Central Luzon, Philippines

Agriculture is among the sectors that severely suffer from the impacts of climate change. Hence, climate change adaptation (CCA) mechanisms must be in place to ensure that food production will not be compromised. This study used a “toolbox” approach to assess the adaptive capacity of rice communities in Central Luzon, Philippines. That is, the region’s ability to mitigate the impacts of climate change depends on the types and quality of the “tools” or adaptive mechanisms available in its toolbox. Adaptive mechanisms can take the form of infrastructure, institutional arrangements, laws, or other measures that help the region adapt to the impacts of climate change. Central Luzon region was chosen as the site for this research because it produces a significant volume of rice; Nueva Ecija, one of its provinces, is the country’s top rice producer. Multiple methods, including desk reviews, focus group discussions, key informant interviews, and a workshop were employed to address the research questions outlined in this study. It was found that while many adaptive mechanisms, especially technologies, are available to farmers, these are often poorly utilized. Efforts along the social dimension of CCA are scarce or nonexistent. Thus, among the key recommendations of this study are to intensify campaigns for farmers to utilize their entitlements and to develop deployment plans for the adaptive mechanisms identified.