Local Adaptation to Climate Change: A Case Study Among the Indigenous Palaw’ans in the Philippines

Abstract

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.KeywordsAdaptabilityAdaptive capacityClimate changeIndigenous peoplesLocal institutionPalaw’ansPhilippinesResilienceSocial networksTransformability