Farmers Review Africa May/June 2017 Farmers Review Africa | Page 18

Insights
Benefits of farm level disaster risk
reduction practices in agriculture
According to new FAO gures, agriculture in
developing countries accounted for 23
percent of all damages and losses caused by
medium and large-scale disasters between
2006 and 2016.
In the case of drought, agriculture received up
to 80 percent of the damages over the same
period, a clear example of the severe impact of
natural disasters on agriculture and food
security.
"But the agricultural sector is not only a
victim, quite the contrary, it is part of the
solution, and it can play a key role in disaster
risk reduction," said FAO's Disaster Risk
Management Officer Anna Ricoy.
According to a new FAO publication, speci c
agricultural technologies for risk reduction at
May - June 2017
farm level are more effective than usual
practices under hazard conditions.
e FAO study monitored improved farm-
level disaster risk management practices in
Bolivia, Cambodia, the Lao People's
Democratic Republic, the Philippines and
Uganda, and compared them to usual
practices adopted by farmers, ranchers and
shermen.
On average, the net economic bene ts from
these improved practices were
approximately 2.5 times higher than usual
practices under hazard conditions.
According to FAO, the combined application
of several mutually reinforcing technologies
and good practices in the crop sector leads to
economic bene ts that are more than four
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REVIEW AFRICA
times higher than usual practices in risk-prone
areas.
ese include the combination of agronomic
practices for soil and water management,
infrastructure improvements and stress
tolerant crop varieties.
"Agriculture, livestock, forests and sheries
and aquaculture offer innovative solutions to
address the root causes of risks by protecting
the livelihoods of the poorest and most
vulnerable people who are most affected by
disasters," Ricoy explained.
Disaster Risk Management Practices in Bolivia
e FAO study found that in Bolivia,
silvopastoral systems that combine crops and
livestock have had a positive impact on
reducing the impact of drought on pastures,
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