The famous Ifugao Rice Terraces in the Philippines and El Niño are rarely mentioned in the same sentence, but it’s been happening lately. Actually, you can link El Niño to lots of things that are affected by the unusually warm waters of the eastern Pacific Ocean off the coasts of South and Central America — from a slight increase in tropical cyclone activity in the South Pacific near Australia, to unusually cool and wet conditions in the southern United States, to unusually wet and warm conditions in the South American countries of Peru and Ecuador, to drier-than-normal conditions across Southeast Asia. And there’s the rub:  not enough rain and unusual heat are making it difficult if not impossible to sustain the traditional rice farming of the Ifugao Rice Terraces.

Ifugao Rice Terraces. Photo: Wiki.

The governor of the province reports that even irrigation systems are not enough to keep the water flowing through the rice paddies of the terraces. While the drought conditions are expected to push into June, the government has formed an El Niño task force to assess damage so far and to recommend anti-El Niño measures. (A Yahoo search for “anti-El Niño measures” returned just three hits — all related to the governor’s task force. We wish him well in his quest.)

Although the  Ifugao Rice Terraces are famous for not only the terraces but also as the site of a famous battle during World War Two, the actual rice is not quite so famous. Considered a “prestige crop,” it’s not yet ready for primetime as it is produced in small quantities (at least as far as world rice production is concerned), with a difficult harvest and it remains a regional product.

Ifugao. Image: Wiki.

In a related story: Not far away from the Ifugao Rice Terraces in the town of Baguio City, residents are concerned Lake Burnham, located in the heart of the city, may be drying up. The lack of rain and the unusually warm temperatures have been accelerating evaporation but city officials remain calm. Even under the extreme heat of the summer, evaporation is planned for and expected. One official said, “It is too early to worry about something that is not there yet.” Again, we wish them well with their difficult situation.

Recreating on the man-made Burnham Lake in Baguio City, the Philippines. Photo: Flickr ScionCho