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

Community-Based Mapping of the Rice Terraces Inscribed in the UNESCO World Heritage List

The rice terraces in four municipalities of Ifugao were inscribed in the UNESCO World Heritage List in 1995 as the Rice Terraces of the Philippine Cordilleras under the category of organically evolved landscapes. This category includes landscapes that developed as a result of an initial social, economic, administrative or religious imperative, and by association with and in response to the natural environment. However, the terraces have deteriorated over the years, and those inscribed in the World Heritage List have been reclassified to the World Heritage in Danger List in 2001. This study is part of a research project that aimed to develop a sustainable financing mechanism for the conservation of the Ifugao Rice Terraces. The report focuses on the estimation of the extent of the rice terraces in the heritage municipalities and the extent of damage that was undertaken with the participation of local communities. The other findings of the project concerning the financing mechanism are presented in a separate report. We used geo-referenced and other data from various sources to produce maps showing the extent of the rice terraces in the heritage sites, as well as the extent of damage. The initial activities focused on secondary data from which basemaps were generated for each of the four heritage Ifugao municipalities. Individual GIS thematic layers were produced showing rice terraces along with the general features of the landscape (e.g. river network, road network, elevation, including municipal boundaries). These were consequently presented in workshops to the communities (e.g. farmers and local officials). The information generated from the community maps specifically showing the damaged rice terraces were used to estimate the cost of rehabilitating the terraces and the potential revenues that can be collected from local and foreign tourists.rice terraces, mapping

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