A Comparative Assessment of Damages to Fisheries Livelihood in Villages Affected By the 2004 Indian Ocean Tsunami

On 26th December 2004, colossal waves known as tsunami engulfed the coastal nations around the Indian Ocean. The disaster brought physical, psychological and emotional suffering beyond measure to many communities. It resulted in immense devastation of many coastal vegetations and marine ecosystems. The fisheries in the coastal villages in Sri Lanka, in particular, were subject to severe damage caused by the tsunami. The impacts of the tsunami on the fishery sector magnified the significance of the resource as important sources of food and livelihood. A comparative assessment of the social and economic dimensions of damages to fisheries following the tsunami was conducted in the villages of Kapuhenwala and Wanduruppa. Functioning and degraded coastal vegetation and marine ecosystems characterize the two villages, respectively. Results indicate that damages to fisheries livelihood in Kapuhenwala, area with intact fishery ecosystems, was approximately SLR 8,676,092 (US$86,761) per fishing household; whereas, Wanduruppa, site with degraded coastal and marine ecosystem generated a loss to fishing livelihood of about SLR 19,952,467 (US$ 199,525) per household. The economic assessment also demonstrated that a village with intact coastal and marine resource base such as Kapuhenwala can induce an economic benefit of approximately SLR 12,718,448 (US$127,184) per fishing household. The economic estimates suggest that areas with degraded coastal vegetation and marine ecosystem generate lower fishing benefits as shown by SLR 1,256,474 (US$ 12,565) annual economic value of fisheries per household in Wanduruppa. The findings provide a sound basis for the inclusion of fishery rehabilitation efforts in the post-tsunami rebuilding programs

Three Essays on Food Staples Sufficiency: Biophysical Assessment, Socioeconomic Analysis, and Policy Evaluation of the Rice Sector in Central Luzon, Philippines

Ph.D. University of Hawaii at Manoa 2016.Includes bibliographical references.The Philippines launched the Food Staples Sufficiency Program (FSSP) in 2012 with a target to increase rice staples from 15.77 million metric tons in 2010 to 22.73 million metric tons in 2016. To attain the target, the government promoted classical approaches of (1) expanding land and irrigation areas, (2) increasing productivity through cropping intensification and introduction of high yielding varieties, and (3) strengthening food system connectivity by reducing rice wastes. In support of rice expansion, this study conducted a geospatial multi-criteria assessment to estimate yield in current and potential areas with biophysical and environmental characteristics capable of supporting rice production. Cognizant of the relationship between production efficiency and achieving the target, this study carried out a stochastic production frontier analysis coupled with spatial dependence assessment. In further recognition that attaining rice self-sufficiency is subject not only to the level of biophysical expansion and efficiency enhancement but also on the ability of producers to utilize effectively all the resources or capital at its disposal, this study also examined the influence of the farmer’s individual social capital on production and adoption of sustainable practices. Results show that the Philippines has about 2.06 million hectares of land that can be allocated to rice expansion. With this potential, the target is attainable even if expansion is not maximized given that yield per hectare is set at the maximum historical yield of 3.89 metric tons. Given that average annual regional technical efficiency in Central Luzon is 0.827 and is representative of farm performance across the country, with adequate provision of agricultural water to farmers and training programs, it is possible to increase national yield above 3.89 metric tons per hectare. At this rate and with the amount of land devoted to rice in 2010, which is 4.3 million hectares, it is possible to surpass the target of 22.73 million metric tons. Findings also demonstrate the direct and indirect connection of social relations to building a farmer’s social capital stock, which in turn was determined to help enhance farm-level efficiency and productivity

A Regional Review of Marine and Coastal Impacts of Climate Change on the ROPME Sea Area

The Regional Organization for the Protection of the Marine Environment (ROPME) Sea Area (RSA) in the northern Indian Ocean, which comprises the Gulf, the Gulf of Oman and the northern Arabian Sea, already experiences naturally extreme environmental conditions and incorporates one of the world’s warmest seas. There is growing evidence that climate change is already affecting the environmental conditions of the RSA, in areas including sea temperature, salinity, dissolved oxygen, pH, and sea level, which are set to continue changing over time. The cumulative impacts of these changes on coastal and marine ecosystems and dependent societies are less well documented, but are likely to be significant, especially in the context of other human stressors. This review represents the first regional synthesis of observed and predicted climate change impacts on marine and coastal ecosystems across the ROPME Sea Area and their implications for dependent societies. Climate-driven ecological changes include loss of coral reefs due to bleaching and the decline of fish populations, while socio-economic impacts include physical impacts from sea-level rise and cyclones, risk to commercial wild capture fisheries, disruption to desalination systems and loss of tourism. The compilation of this review is aimed to support the development of targeted adaptation actions and to direct future research within the RSA.Science, Faculty ofNon UBCOceans and Fisheries, Institute for theReviewedFacultyResearcherOthe