Impacts of Ecological Risks to Food and Health Security in Laguna Lake Region, Philippines- -Focus on Flood Risks-

Although emerging as a new economic force in the world, Asian regions are facing various issues with their development being challenged by the negative impacts of rapid urbanization, rapid population growth and increasing demands on remaining natural resources and related services. Within the overall research focusing on the impacts of ecological risks to food and health security conducted in the Laguna Lake Region, Philippines, the present study emphasizes on flood risk assessment, measurement of resilience level of city and its community to flood disasters and finally on the impacts of flood risks to food and health security of communities. Economic activities, population increase, industrialization and rapid urbanization have been occurring in the region leading to another dimension of vulnerability of the natural and socioeconomic system affecting food and health security. In addition, increased human settlements, agricultural activities, and industrial development, ecological risks have caused significant impacts on agricultural, food and water supply on which public health heavily depends. Food and health risks, which result from both inadequate supply as well as poor quality of food, and water, are contributing significantly to the public health conditions. This problem is worsened by reported impacts of a changing climate felt directly by farmers, rural and urban dwellers, often characterized by increased flooding, landslides and drought. Therefore, already threatened by the above risks, the region is often experiencing flood disasters, following typhoons, or heavy monsoon rains leading to heavy casualties and grave public health issues sue to the spread of diseases and submersion and also aggravated by resulting food security problems. Flood risks, also shaped by various factors such as social, physical and environmental vulnerability, need therefore to be determined in order to have a full knowledge of what are or might be happening and how it affects resilience to flooding and impacts food and health security of Laguna Lake community. Data collection is based on literature review, questionnaire survey, interviews and focus group discussions. Data analysis is conducted by using statistical tools and GIS-based modeling and mapping.