Local adaptation to climate change: a case study among the indigenous Palaw’ans in the Philippines

Matias, Denise Margaret
External Publications (2015)

in: Walter Leal Filho (ed.), Climate change in the Asia-Pacific Region, Berlin: Springer, 173-187

ISBN: 978-3-319-14937-0
DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/978-3-319-14938-7
Information

Different cultural, economic, political and social forces shape adaptive capacity. In addition, 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 research data from qualitative methods of key informant interviews, focus group discussions, and participant observation, this paper takes a look on how Palaw’ans perceive climate change and ascertains their adaptive capacity based on their transformability, resilience, and adaptability as well as on their local institutions as social networks. The research finds that the several local adaptations to climate change of Palaw’ans are a function of their transformability, resilience, adaptability, and, to a certain extent, to the social learning gained from their local institution.

About the author

Matias, Denise Margaret

Agricultural Researcher

Matias

Further experts

Aleksandrova, Mariya

Climate risk governance 

Banerjee, Aparajita

Environmental and Resource Sociology, Public Policy 

Brandi, Clara

Economy and Political Science 

Dippel, Beatrice

Comparatist 

Dombrowsky, Ines

Economist 

Donnelly, Aiveen

Politcal Science 

Ekoh, Susan S.

Environmental Research 

Goedeking, Nicholas

Comparative Political Economy 

Hein, Jonas

Geography 

Hernandez, Ariel

Economy 

Houdret, Annabelle

Political Scientist 

Hägele, Ramona

Political Scientist 

Lehmann, Ina

Political Science 

Malerba, Daniele

Economy 

Mathis, Okka Lou

Political Scientist 

Never, Babette

Political Scientist 

Pegels, Anna

Economist 

Schoderer, Mirja

Environmental Research 

Schüpf, Dennis

Economics 

Srigiri, Srinivasa Reddy

Agricultural Economist