The Philippines Action Plan to Combat Desertification, Land Degradation, Drought and Poverty - Combating Desertification in Asia, Africa and the Middle East - page 301

rain period from June to September due to prevalence of Southwest monsoon.
Seasonal aridity is exacerbated by the increasing incidence of El Nino, which is
now occurring at a 2-3 year cycle from previous 5-year interval. The water stress
periods in the seasonally arid/semi arid areas are extended to 4-9 months depending
on the intensity of drought or El Nino dry spell (6-9 months).

6 Efforts to Combat Land Degradation and Mitigate

Drought Effects

6.1 Farmer's Initiatives

In a study conducted by PCARRD in 30 barangays of 9 regions in the country,
10 barangays reported that residents became more hardworking and resourceful
in response to drought incidence. Planting of other crops such as vegetable and
watermelon were done in order to augment income. In addition, organizations at
barangays level such as cooperatives, farmers, women and youth organizations
implemented other income-generating activities such as sewing and selling rags and
dresses, carpentry and construction jobs in other places.
Adaption of SALT technology and approaches has been embraced in pilot trials
and it is being replicated and scaled up. SALT is a technology package of soil
conservation and food production that integrates several soil conservation measures
(Watson and Laquihon 1993 ). Technically, SALT is a contour farming system.
The method involves the planting of field crops in bands 3-5 m wide between
double rows of nitrogen-fixing shrubs and trees planted along the contour. These
minimize soil erosion and maintain the fertility of the soils. Field crops include
legumes, cereals, and vegetables, while the main perennial crops are cacao, coffee,
banana, citrus, other fruit trees and forest trees. SALT helps considerably in the
establishment of a stable ecosystem. The double hedgerows of leguminous shrubs or
trees prevent soil erosion. Their branches are cut every 30-45 days and incorporated
back into the soil to its fertility. The crop provides permanent vegetative cover
which aids the conservation of both soil and water. The legumes and perennial crops
maintain soil and air.
SALT helps considerably in the establishment of a stable ecosystem. The double
hedgerows of leguminous shrubs or trees prevent soil erosion. Their branches are
cut every 30-45 days and incorporated back into the soil to improve its fertility. The
crop provides permanent vegetative cover which aids the conservation of soil and
water. The legumes and perennial crops maintain soil and air temperature at levels
favorable for the better growth of different agricultural crops. The recommended
hedgerows species used in SALT are Flemingia macrophylla , Desmodium rensoni ,
Gliricidia sepium , Leucaena diversifolia ,and Calliandra calothyrsus .
Aside from its soil and water conservation effect and its role ensuring sustainable
source of food to smallholder farmers, SALT is also seen to be an effective paradigm