Geoscience Reference
In-Depth Information
Table 15.1
The four major climate types in The Philippines
Type I:
Two pronounced seasons with maximum rain period from June to September and a
dry season that lasts from 3 to 6 or 7 months
Type II:
No dry season with a very pronounced maximum rain period from December to
February
Type III:
No pronounced maximum rain period with a short dry season lasting only from 1 to
3 months
Type IV:
Rainfall more or less evenly distributed throughout the year
1.2
Climate
Based on the seasonal rainfall distribution, the climate of the Philippines is classified
as set out in Table
15.1
.
The tropical cyclone season in the country is from June to December, with
the months from July to September having the most frequent occurrence of more
than three cyclones each month. Annual relative humidity ranges from 75 to 86 %
and annual mean temperature is between 19.20 and 28.20
ı
C while annual rainfall
ranges from 914 to 4,358 mm.
1.3
Land Resources
The Philippines is an agricultural country. The total land area of the Philippines is
about 30 Mha, 47 % of which is agricultural land. A total of 15.8 Mha are classified
as forest lands and 14.2 Mha are classified as alienable and disposable lands. Of this
14.2 Mha, about 13 Mha (93 %) are devoted to agriculture of which 6.1 Mha are
highly suitable for cultivation. The main crops are: Food grains occupying 4.01 Mha,
other food crops account for 8.33 Mha and non-food crops occupy 2.2 Mha. In the
Philippines, prime agricultural lands are located around the main urban and high
population density areas.
2
Philippine Scenario on Land Degradation, Desertification
and Drought
The Philippines, a tropical country, is well endowed with rich natural resources
and is known to host biologically diverse habitats composed of universally unique
biological plants and animal life. In addition, the agricultural lands of the Philippines
are very fertile and productivity enabling farmers to plant different crops throughout
the year. However, because of natural, human-induced and policy-induced factors
that includes poor drainage, volcanic eruptions, extensive use of chemical fertilizers,
Search WWH ::
Custom Search