CEU Electronic Theses and Dissertations, 2012
| Author | Matias, Denise Margaret Santos |
|---|---|
| Title | Assessing adaptive capacity of indigenous Palaw'ans in Mount Mantalingahan, Palawan, Philippines |
| Summary | The capacity to adapt is contingent on different cultural, economic, political and social forces. Additionally, spatial and social differentiations occurring at sub-national levels also result to differences in levels of vulnerability in one country. One social group often excluded in the discussion of climate change is the indigenous peoples. Traditionally subsisting and living on very minimal assets, they shape and are being shaped by the different ecosystems that they live in and depend on. A group of indigenous Palaw'ans in Palawan, Philippines exhibit social-ecological dynamics with their ancestral domain, part of which is declared a protected area under the Mount Mantalingahan Protected Landscape. Through qualitative methods of key informant interviews, focus group discussions, and participant observation, this research aims to determine the adaptive capacity of the Palaw’ans as a product of interrelationships among cultural, ecological, and socio-political factors in the community. Specifically, this thesis aims to answer the research question: how do multi-level governance, social-ecological dynamics, and local perceptions of environmental change affect the Palaw’ans’ adaptive capacity? The research finds that the Palaw'ans are highly dependent on ecosystem services, which are affected by environmental changes and system boundaries of the ancestral domain and the protected area. Non-government organizations are perceived by Palaw'ans to be more supportive than government agencies involved in the polycentric governance of their area. This thesis gathers knowledge on vulnerability grounded on practice and also demonstrates the inadequacy of top-down approaches to climate change in marginalized groups. On a practical level, the results of this thesis may also facilitate the formal awarding of the ancestral domain title of the Palaw'ans. |
| Supervisor | Pinter, Laszlo |
| Department | Environment Sciences and Policy MSc |
| Full text | https://www.etd.ceu.edu/2012/matias_denise-margaret.pdf |
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