Emerging socio-economic and environmental issues affecting food security: A case study of silang-santa rosa subwatershed

Issue Date

2-2015

Abstract

The Silang-Santa Rosa subwatershed feeds into Laguna Lake to the south-east of Metro Manila. This case study of the subwatershed provides some insights on the interactions between people and institutions within their given natural environment. The link between the socio-economic conditions of households and the quality of the ecosystem resources available is premised on the extent to which socio-economic conditions influence household decisions relating to the use and management of land and water resources. The major issue is how people might be able to improve, protect, and expand their current resource base or level of acquirement given the different types of risks they face. In the subwatershed's upstream areas, the risk is from soil degradation coupled with inefficient farm production systems that lead to low farm productivity. In the downstream areas, households face poverty-related issues such as food insecurity and low income from declining fishery resources. In addition, pollution from both upstream and downstream areas threatens their livelihoods and increases the incidence of water-borne diseases. To address these issues, it is proposed that the different stakeholders could be enlisted to develop an integrated development plan that would reflect their common interests and vision for the watershed area feeding into Laguna Lake. The plan should deal with major issues such as land and water degradation, poverty, livelihoods, food security, health, farm production efficiency, and marketing systems, as well as regulatory and economic instruments that would reduce land and water degradation.

Source or Periodical Title

Sustainable Living with Environmental Risks

Page

123-135

Document Type

Book Chapter

Language

English

Subject

Farm income, Food security, Global environmental change

Identifier

https://doi.org/10.1007/978-4-431-54804-1_11

Digital Copy

yes

Link to Full Text

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