Authors
ABSTRACT
This study is an assessment of the vulnerability of households to food insecurity under an extreme weather event. A subjective-qualitative technique primarily based on the perceived food security status of the households and their food insecurity coping strategies was used to examine household food vulnerability. Key findings reveal that households living in the vulnerable areas of Sta. Cruz subwatershed were generally resilient to extreme weather events and only suffered from slight to moderate form of food security problems. Impacts of extreme weather events on them were generally moderate but the highest impact was observed in their income sources, logistics, and assets or properties, all of which are important elements of an adequate access to food. While no severe form of food insecurity was found among the households, results of the food vulnerability analysis show that the likelihood of a household to fall under a state of food insecurity may rise under an extreme weather event if it fails to have an early warning system, adopt effective coping strategies against extreme events, and maintain adequate physical and economic access to food. With these, suggestions to improve mechanisms such as early warning system, public food distribution systems, food assistance programs, and capacity building on adaptation strategies and coping mechanisms for climate resilience and food production are recommended to help households ensure their food security in times of an extreme weather event.
