By Mary Grace Padin
THE Food and Agriculture Organization (FAO) of the United Nations and the Department of Agriculture (DA) on Thursday launched drones in Pampanga to officially mark their joint initiative to introduce the use of drones for disaster-risk reduction (DRR) in the country’s agriculture sector.
“The adoption of modern technologies in agriculture, such as the use of drones or unmanned aerial vehicles [UAVs], can significantly enhance risk and damage assessments, and revolutionize the way we prepare for and respond to disasters that affect the livelihoods of vulnerable farmers and fishers and the country’s food security,” FAO Representative in the Philippines José Luis Fernández said in a statement.
FAO said it is becoming “vital” to generate accurate and timely data as the Philippines continues to feel the impacts of climate change. Such information, which can be gathered through drone missions, can support the preparation of early-warning systems and farm-level advisories, the FAO said.
These systems and advisories can be used by farmers and fishermen to make informed decisions, and can contribute to the government’s response-planning activities.
“With the use of a drone, a team of technical specialists can assess up to 600 hectares in one day, significantly accelerating the process of projecting the extent of damage that an incoming hazard may cause in agricultural areas, and quantifying actual damage after a disaster,” DA Field Operations Service Director Christopher Morales said.
Aside from assessments, the FAO added that data generated from drone flights will also be useful in environmental monitoring and in the design of agricultural-infrastructure support projects.
The FAO said its joint initiative with DA includes the use of drones equipped with photogrammetric and navigation equipment to allow rapid and reliable assessments.
DA and FAO technical specialists—including agronomists, agricultural engineers, mapping and information-technology specialists and data science experts—will operate the drones.
These technical personnel are undergoing a three-week intensive course with lectures, simulation exercises, actual flying and mission planning. The training also covers principles of professional use through safe, lawful and ethical means.
“This initiative is a pivotal development fully aligned with our national strategy for disaster-risk reduction and management for agriculture,” Morales noted.
The FAO and DA earlier tested the drone-based methodology through an earlier project funded by the European Commission Human Aid and Civil Protection Department (ECHO), which aimed to facilitate the consolidation of capacities for disaster-risk reduction in agriculture in Southeast Asia.
“FAO is pursuing donor funding to expand the use of drones in agriculture DRR. We also strongly encourage the government to increase its investment in this cost-effective technology, so that more regions of the country can be covered at the soonest possible time,” Fernández said.
The FAO-DA initiative is part of a larger collaboration between the two agencies for DRR in the agriculture sector, through which FAO also assisted the DA in 2015 in formulating a national DRR and management strategy for agriculture and fisheries.