Philippine rice farmers adopt climate-smart practices to cut methane emissions

Key facts

• Methane from rice cultivation accounted for nearly half of the Philippines' agricultural greenhouse gas emissions in 2020.
• Alternative wetting and drying (AWD) can reduce water use by 30% and lower irrigation costs without affecting rice yields.
• Smart agriculture technologies, including mobile applications for farm management, are being implemented.
• Projects are using carbon financing to incentivize farmers to adopt AWD practices.
• The Upper Pampanga River Integrated Irrigation System service area is a key region for these climate-smart rice projects.

Rice paddies in the Philippines are a significant source of methane emissions, contributing nearly half of the country's agricultural greenhouse gases. To combat this, farmers are increasingly adopting climate-smart practices like alternative wetting and drying (AWD), a method that involves alternating periods of flooding and drying to conserve water and reduce methane production. This technique can save up to 30% in water usage and lower irrigation costs without impacting rice yields.

Beyond AWD, smart agriculture technologies, including information portals and mobile applications for farm management, are being utilized to enhance rice production and decrease nitrous oxide emissions from soil management. These innovations are crucial as agricultural emissions in the Philippines are projected to increase by 42.5% by 2050 if current practices continue, with rice cultivation expected to account for 28.3% of those emissions.

Projects like the Upper Pampanga Rice Climate-Smart Rice project are leveraging demand for nature-based solutions to drive carbon financing to smallholder farmers. Through Payment for Ecosystem Services programs, farmers are trained in AWD, and their practices are monitored and certified for carbon credits. These efforts involve partnerships with entities such as the National Irrigation Administration (NIA) and the Philippines Rice Research Institute (PhilRice) to ensure effective implementation and verification of greenhouse gas reductions.