The 7th International Conference on Education, Environment, and Agriculture (ICEEA7) and the 4th International Conference on School-plus-Home Gardens cum Biodiversity Enhancement and Enterprise (SHGBEE4)
Biodiversity underpins food systems, ecosystem services, and climatic stability but is increasingly at risk from unsustainable practices. Its degradation compromises these critical systems, while climate-related disasters result in an average of PHP 44 billion in yearly agricultural damages (PIDS, 2023).
Investing in disaster resilience programs is therefore necessary to ensure that communities, particularly the most vulnerable ones, can withstand and recover from natural hazards without losing development gains.
Concurrently, agri/ecotourism offers a sustainable option to protect biodiversity with the diversification of rural economies, job creation, and reinforcement of cultural identity when integrated in sustainable land and resource management policy frameworks.
Combining the multidimensional challenges of food insecurity, loss of biodiversity, and disaster risks caused by climate change, therefore, requires policies that link environmental stewardship with economic and social resilience.