Abstract
The study was conducted to determine the socioeconomic impact two (2) Small Water Impounding Projects (SWIPs) namely Burgos SWIP in Cabarroguis and Divisoria Norte SWIP in Maddela, both in the Province of Quirino, Philippines. The study made use of structured questionnaire to gather the socio-demographic profile and determined the socioeconomic impact of the SWIPs to the farmer-beneficiaries. Most of the farmer-beneficiaries of Burgos and Divisoria Norte SWIPs are male, 40 - 59 years old, married, have below four household members, Roman Catholic, high school graduates and some are members of cooperatives. They are rice farmers, and have attended one to two training courses related to farming and own a 1.00 to 1.99 hectares farm. “Utilization of water in the reservoir for other purposes like wallowing pool for carabaos” and “integration of fish production and livestock raising” were the identified benefits at the farmer’s level while “introduction of new techniques in farming by the Local Government Units,” “availability of cheap fish and additional income as a result of integration of fish production” and “construction of better roads” were the identified benefits at the community level. The SWIPs have positive impact as confirmed by the increase in the annual mean yield and in the annual gross income of the farmer-beneficiaries. It contributed a significant increase of 2.14 tons/year in the mean yield generating an additional income of PhP 32,113.64 for Burgos SWIP. On the other hand, it contributed a significant increase of 2.08 tons/year giving an additional income of PhP 31,313.60 for Divisoria Norte farmer-beneficiaries. The result of this study will provide strategic information to policy makers of agricultural and irrigation agencies on the existing weaknesses of irrigation systems in the country and determine in a more quantifiable terms level of potential improvement and investment targets.
Highlights
The scientific community widely agrees that climate change is already a reality
From the existing list in the region, Burgos and Divisoria Norte Small Water Impounding Projects (SWIPs) were selected considering their difference in the length of operation for comparison of SWIPs constructed over 15 years and currently operated
The Burgos SWIP watershed is located between 16 ̊29'50'' and 16 ̊37'47'' North latitudes and 121 ̊29'56'' and 121 ̊32'44'' East longitudes
Summary
The scientific community widely agrees that climate change is already a reality. It is undoubtedly the biggest challenge confronting the Philippines today and the vulnerability of water resources to this phenomenon is a reality that can no longer be ignored [1]. The increasing food demand and decreasing water availability suggest that the agricultural sector has to produce more food with less water. The growing concerns on water scarcity especially in the agricultural sector pose a major challenge among decision makers to put more focus on making this resource available. Since the available amount of water is limited, scarce and not spatially distributed in relation to the population needs, proper management of water resources is essential to satisfy the current demands as well as to maintain sustainability [2]
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