Philippines

Impacts of SRM on agriculture: the Southeast Asian case

Project summary

Dr Patricia J. Sanchez and her team will research the potential impacts of SRM on the country’s agriculture with a focus on rice and corn in the Laguna and Lanao lake areas. More specifically, their study will look at how solar radiation management may affect the impacts of global warming on the region’s climate—from changing rainfall patterns and intensity to increasing temperatures to the occurrence of water-related disasters—and what this means for the country’s crop physiology and productivity. The team will use a combination of climate, hydrological and crop models as well as observation data to determine whether SRM might cause significant changes to the region’s hydrology and crop yields. Perception studies will also be conducted to understand stakeholder attitudes around selected pilot watersheds. The project is hosted at the University of the Philippines Los Baños.

The team

Dr Patricia Ann Jaranilla-Sanchez (PI)

University of the Philippines Los Baños

Patricia Ann is a professor in the University of the Philippines Los Baños (UPLB) with the School of Environmental Science and Management (SESAM), a visiting scientist in the World Agroforestry Centre (ICRAF), and the chair of UPLB’s Interdisciplinary Studies Center for Water (IDSC-Water). Her recent research includes work on hydrogeological assessments (FFP and JICA), climate change information (ACIAR), climate resiliency (UNDP), the reduction of agricultural post-harvest loss through cost-effective cold-storage facilities (USAID-STRIDE), and the carrying capacity of Boracay island in Malay Aklan (DENR-ERDB) and El Nido in Palawan (DENR-ERDB and BMB). Previously, she also worked on flood and drought risks in the International Center for Water Hazard and Risk Management (ICHARM) and the University of Tokyo where she sought to quantitatively identify the basin-scale impacts of extreme events using both past and seasonal forecast information as well as future climate projections into the different basins, focusing on how these projections can affect current local adaptation measures.

Dr Rodel Lasco (Co-PI)

University of the Philippines Los Baños

Dr Lasco has about 40 years of experience in natural resources and environmental research, conservation, education and development at the national and international level. He is an author of several IPCC assessment reports since 2000, academician of the National Academy of Science and Technology in the Philippines, and an affiliate professor at the School of Environmental Science and Management at the University of the Philippines at Los Baños. He also serves as Executive Director of the Oscar M. Lopez Center, a not-for-profit foundation dedicated to climate change adaptation, and he is a climate change scientist at the World Agroforestry Centre (ICRAF).

Jessa Aquino

University of the Philippines Los Baños

Jessa is a licensed environmental planner and University Research Associate at the School of Environmental Science and Management, UPLB. Her academic trainings are in human ecology and environmental science which shaped her interest in the application of social research instruments on topics related to human-environment relations. She has an extensive experience in research, public service, and was recently an Affiliate Assistant Professor at DSDS CHE, UPLB. Furthermore, she takes an important role in co-authoring and writing proposals for resource generation at the Interdisciplinary Studies Center for Water of UPLB SESAM. She plans to pursue a PhD in Human Ecology or Environmental Social Science and gain transdisciplinary development experiences in line with the University’s mandate as a graduate research university, contributing to nation building.

Emmanuel Zeus Gapan

University of the Philippines Los Baños

Emmanuel Zeus is a licensed agricultural and biosystems engineer specialising in land and water resources engineering. He is knowledgeable in utilising hydrologic and hydraulic models for various water resources assessment projects. In addition, he is also experienced in using GIS tools and other statistical software for data analysis and presentation. In his free time, Zeus loves to play musical instruments and sports.

Catherine Gigantone

University of the Philippines Los Baños

Catherine received her MSc in Environmental Science and Management from the School of Environmental Science and Management, University of the Philippines Los Baños where she currently works as a University Research Associate and one of the coordinators of the UPLB Interdisciplinary Studies Center for Water. Her current research involvements include water resource assessment and management, climate change impacts to water resources, water-related disasters and water quality assessments.

Allan Tejada

University of the Philippines Los Baños

Allan T. Tejada Jr. is an MS Graduate Fellow affiliated with UPLB Interdisciplinary Studies Center for Water. He is a licensed Agricultural and Biosystems Engineer who has been practicing his profession in the field of research. He has a good working knowledge in data management and analytics, machine learning simulation, hydrologic modelling for climate change and dam optimisation studies.

Hannah Jose

University of the Philippines Los Baños

Hannah is a licensed Agricultural and Biosystems Engineer with in-depth knowledge of Land and Water Resources Engineering. She has gained expertise in flood modelling and crop modelling. She specialises in rice from her previous research experience while working with rice experts from the International Rice Research Institute (IRRI) and the University of the Philippines Los Baños (UPLB).

Keane Carlo Lomibao

University of the Philippines Los Baños

Keane is a licensed civil engineer with experience in hydrodynamic modelling during his undergraduate research. His future research will be focusing on the hydrologic modelling components of the SRM project. Prior to his involvement in UPLB Interdisciplinary Studies Center for Water, he worked as a land development and housing engineer in the real estate industry. He aims to dedicate his career to research and development, particularly on topics involving climate change.