Towards the development of a sustainable financing mechanism for the conservation of the Ifugao rice terraces in the Philippines

This EEPSEA study from the Philippines shows that tourism revenue could finance a significant part of the restoration and preservation work that is needed to save one of the country’s most important cultural treasures. The study focuses on the key challenges that are facing the Ifugao Rice Terraces. The Ifugao Rice Terraces in the Philippines have been designated a UNESCO World Heritage Site since 1995. These terraces have been deteriorating steadily in recent years and they have been the subject of a number of under-funded and delayed ‘action plans’ that have failed to halt their decline. The challenges facing the terraces include a declining water and labour supply. The study is the work of a research team led by Dr. Margaret Calderon from the University of the Philippines Los Banos. It finds that capturing tourists’ willingness-to-pay for the conservation of the rice terraces could generate revenues of P 6.65 million or more a year. The study also finds that the water supply problems in the terraces would be reduced if deforestation was tackled and irrigation systems and damaged terrace walls were repaired. The study recommends that a labor subsidy payment should be introduced for Ifugao farmers. This would help them to continue to farm the terraces, would go some way to solving labour supply problems and would also help finance costly maintenance and terrace repair work

Optimization of anodized aluminum oxide pore morphology for GaAs nanowire growth

Anodic Aluminum oxide films were produced by anodization of sputtered Aluminum thin films on Silicon substrates. The effects of anodization voltage and aqueous oxalic acid solution on the pore diameter and interpore distance were studied. Parameters were sequentially varied to optimize the pore uniformity. Pore morphology was most uniform at 40V anodization voltage and 0.3M solution concentration. Average pore diameter and interpore distance for these parameters are 26.14nm ± 13% and 74.62 ± 8%, respectively. Pore diameter uniformity was further improved by etching with phosphoric acid solution. The AAO films were also successfully used to pattern gold nanoparticle catalysts for the synthesis of semiconductor nanowires

Towards the Development of a Sustainable Financing Mechanism for the Conservation of the Ifugao Rice Terraces in the Philippines

This study from the Philippines shows that tourism revenue could finance a significant part of the restoration and preservation work that is needed to save one of the country's most important cultural treasures. The study focuses on the key challenges that are facing the Ifugao Rice Terraces. The Ifugao Rice Terraces in the Philippines have been designated a UNESCO World Heritage Site since 1995. These terraces have been deteriorating steadily in recent years and they have been the subject of a number of under-funded and delayed 'action plans' that have failed to halt their decline. The challenges facing the terraces include a declining water and labour supply. The study finds that capturing tourists' willingness-to-pay for the conservation of the rice terraces could generate revenues of P 6.65 million or more a year. The study also finds that the water supply problems in the terraces would be reduced if deforestation was tackled and irrigation systems and damaged terrace walls were repaired. The study recommends that a labor subsidy payment should be introduced for Ifugao farmers. This would help them to continue to farm the terraces, would go some way to solving labour supply problems and would also help finance costly maintenance and terrace repair work.Rice, Philippines

Tourism and Rice Terraces - An Assessment of Funding Options from the Philippines

The Ifugao Rice Terraces in the Philippines are one of the world's grat cultural and environmental treasures and they have been designated a UNESCO World Heritage Site since 1995. However the terraces are threatened by a number of significant challenges. These include tourist pressure, a declining water supply and a lack of conservation planning, funds and resources.Tourism, Philippines