Evangeline B. SibayanPhilippine Rice Research Institute

Philippines

Asia LEDS Partnership Regional Workshop Skill Training Sessions – Identifying and Prioritizing NAMA

Options and Designing and Developing NAMAs in AgricultureSheraton Saigon Hotel & Towers

Ho Chi Minh City, Viet Nam27-30 October 2015

Adaptation and Mitigation Initiatives in Agriculture in the rice sector in the

Philippines

Vladislav ArnaoudovMitsubishi UFJ Morgan Stanley

Securities Co. Ltd., Japan

Scope of Presentation

Part I - Rice Production under irrigated lowland culture, the Alternate Wetting and Drying (AWD) water management, how it is implemented, and its merits

Part II – MRV and Financing

Part I - Rice Production under irrigated lowland culture, the Alternate Wetting and Drying (AWD) water management, how it is implemented, and its merits

GHG Emissions in Rice Cultivation occurs

1. from decomposition of organic material in the soil in flooded rice fields and

2. emissions from anaerobic decomposition of rice straw and rice husk.

Usual Rice Production - Continuously Flooded Ponded water of 2-5 cm is maintained in the field up to 1 to 2 weeks before harvest

-20

-15

-10

-5

0

5

1 3 5 7 9 11 13 15 17 19

Perched water depth (cm)

Example of monitored moisture status of a field under Continuously Flooded Condition, Philippines 2012 DS

Weeks after transplanting

Average water depth applied every irrigation event

Due to looming water scarcity, the need to research on water saving on rice production came about, with the following findings:

• Rice need not be cultivated maintaining ponded water (continuously flooded, CF);

• No significant yield difference between CF and saturated soil condition (SSC);

• Alternate wetting and drying (AWD) has no significant yield loss compared to CF (so long as water is sufficient during fertilizer application and flowering)

In 2001-05, Technology Transfer on Water Saving Project funded by ADB was implemented by IRRI in collaboration with PhilRice and the National Irrigation Administration (NIA) in the Philippines among pump irrigation systems: In this project, AWD was the technology promoted among famers

The technology was developed to address water scarcity!

Alternate Wetting and Drying

The observation well

How AWD is implemented through the use of an observation well

How AWD is implemented through the use of an observation well

5 cm

15 cm

Example of monitored moisture status of a field who adopted AWD Central Luzon, Philippines 2012 DS

Continuously flooded Alternately wet and dry

COMPARISON OF CONSTINUOUSLY FLOODED AND AWD RICE FIELDS

• In 2007, IRRI and JIRCAS conducted experiment to measure GHG emissions in AWD plots;

• It was reported that with AWD, methane (CH4) emission is reduced by 60 –90% during the dry season; 35 – 45% in a year(IRRI Annual Report 2008 pp 17-18)

Effect on Environment

Approved methodology on “methane emission reduction by adjusted water management practice in rice cultivation”; the approved CDM methodology explicitly include AWD;

Default factors for reduced emissions (1.8 kg/ha/d)* in the case of multiple aeration. This means that Certified Emission Reductions (CERs) can now be claimed for water saving techniques in rice production without any measurement of emission savings.

For the Philippines, calculation of GHG emission reductions is based on an approved CDM standardized baseline for the rice sector developed by UNDP (ASB0008, ‘Standardized baseline for CH4 emissions in rice cultivation) with country-specific seasonal default values. https://cdm.unfccc.int/methodologies/standard_base/new/sb7_index.html

AMS III.AU: Methane emission reduction by adjusted water management practice in rice cultivation UNFCCC (August 2012).

*For example, assuming 2 crops/year and 100 days per crop, the default value translate into 9 t CO2eq/ha/yr

Merits that can be derived in the practice of AWD

Irrigation water savings of up to 33%, no yield difference (adaptation)

Better root anchorage to reduce lodging Promotes higher zinc availability on soil and on

the grains (from Beebout et al 2011) Better soil condition at harvest providing option

for mechanization (less harvest losses) Reduces conflict among water users (upstream

vs downstream) Reduce GHG emissions

With AWD, we can produce more rice with less water, while reducing environmental footprints in ricelands!

End of Presentation -Part I