Drone mission in drought-stricken Iloilo to help strengthen disaster assessment protocols
ILOILO – Drones were flown over agricultural areas in drought-stricken Iloilo Province to advance aerial assessment procedures and inform disaster preparedness and response efforts. The mission was deployed by the Department of Agriculture (DA) and the Food and Agriculture Organization of the United Nations (FAO) as a follow on to the launch of its joint initiative in March, which integrates the use of drone technology in agriculture disaster risk reduction and management (DRRM).
“Closely observing the extent of damage experienced in the province could help technical experts in determining areas for improvement in the drone mapping methodology that is currently being developed by DA with the support of FAO,” said FAO Representative in the Philippines José Luis Fernández.
Based on DA reports, more than 25 000 hectares of agricultural areas in Iloilo have been affected by prolonged dry spells. Preliminary assessments also indicate that it is among the provinces with the largest number of farmers struggling from the impacts of the current El Niño.
In Passi City, rice farmers have reported experiencing as much as a 75 percent drop in harvest during the last cropping season. Data-rich maps generated from drone flights in Passi City and Pototan Municipality will allow DA technical specialists to provide sound and evidence-based recommendations. The two-day mission covered approximately 800 hectares.
“This exercise serves as a litmus test for the drone protocols for aerial risk and damage assessment that we have developed over the past year and are continuing to improve. The information we gather here will be useful for immediate- and medium-term planning, and can facilitate better-informed decision-making on how we respond to crises and at the same time improve disaster preparedness among farmers,” said Director Christopher Morales of the DA Field Operations Service.
DA and FAO are coordinating with local government units and other relevant Government agencies to deploy a series of drone flights in other disaster-affected provinces.
“Employing modern technologies and scientific tools will be instrumental in achieving our anti-hunger and poverty goals, especially in the most vulnerable agricultural areas,” Fernández added.
FAO has been backstopping the Government’s DRRM agenda since 2009 through a series of projects including a recently concluded multi-country project funded by the European Commission Human Aid and Civil Protection Department. The project facilitated the dissemination of stress-tolerant rice varieties and risk reducing practices to farmers and fisherfolk in highly vulnerable communities. FAO also assisted DA in the formulation of a national DRRM strategy for agriculture and fisheries.