Improving agricultural development for upland watersheds
The Australian Centre for International Agricultural Research (ACIAR) and CSIRO co‐funded a project which involved evaluating sloping land in the southern Philippines so that it could be used sustainably for agriculture. The goal was to increase agricultural production and protect watersheds. These outcomes help reduce rural poverty and improve livelihoods.
The project concluded in 2017 and nine organisations were involved. They included Bohol State Island University, Misamis Oriental State College of Agriculture and Technology (MOSCOT), Landcare Foundation of the Philippines Inc and other local government units within the Cabulig River and Inabanga‐Wahig Watersheds.
Developing a framework for assessing research impact
CSIRO is partnering with Filipino universities and organisations to develop an integrated ex‐post framework for identifying, recording and analysing impacts flowing from research projects. Partners include the University of the Philippines Los Banos (UPLB), the Visayas State University (VSU), the Philippine Council for Agriculture, Aquatic and Natural Resources Research and Development (PCAARRD) and the Australian Centre for International Agricultural Research (ACIAR).
The catalyst for this project is growing recognition that existing economic impact assessment frameworks are limited in terms of expressing the complex and diverse social, environmental and insitutional impacts that arise from research for development projects. The draft framework will be tested and refined through application to several projects in the Philippines.