Philippines
A forest of dreams: Ontological multiplicity and the fantasies of environmental government in the PhilippinesBackgroundThe southwestern Philippines' Palawan Island has seen an expansion of conservation enclosures coinciding with Indigenous rights recognition. The Palawan people, traditionally swidden agriculturalists, hunters, fishers, and traders, are now a minority in southern municipalities due to migration and socioeconomic changes. Aiming to reconcile conservation with Indigenous territorial rights, the Philippine government has policies that often expect Indigenous values to align with bureaucratically managed conservation areas, like the Mt. Mantalingahan Protected Landscape (MMPL). Open access copy available |
What is the contribution of forest-related income to rural livelihood strategies in the Philippines’ remaining forested landscapes?BackgroundOpen access copy available |
Assessing the effectiveness of the engagement of local people in restoring degraded forest landscapes in leyte and Biliran Provinces, the PhilippinesBackgroundOpen access copy available |
Forest ecosystem services at landscape level – Why forest transition matters?BackgroundForest transition theory describes patterns of forest decline and recovery. This theory explains what services change as forested landscapes shift in the three stages of recovery. This model covers both forest-type gradients (diversity and usage) and landscape gradients (connectivity and coverage). It is not yet understood how these forest transition stages influence the quantity and quality of ecosystem services. Open access copy available |
Green economy, oil palm development, and the exclusion of Indigenous swidden cultivators in the PhilippinesBackgroundGreen economy programs involve agro-industrial development in land frontiers for activities that are considered low-carbon or as seen as supporting greenhouse gas reduction. In the Philippines, as in many parts of South-East Asia, oil palm plantations are promoted as a form of green growth, contributing to food security and biofuels while meeting reforestation goals on lands that are often classified as idle, or waste, but may not be in practice. The paper explores the implications of oil palm development on land tenure security of smallholder swidden cultivators from indigenous communities. Open access copy available |
Fairly efficient, efficiently fair: Lessons from designing and testing payment schemes for ecosystem services in AsiaBackgroundPayment for Ecosystem Services (PES) is defined as a market-based approach yet the authors argue that it cannot be generalized or implements and often suffers due to the commoditization of these services. Open access copy available |
Addressing Slow Onset Disasters: Lessons from the 2015-2016 El Niño in the PhilippinesBACKGROUNDThe Philippines as an archipelagic country is prone to climate-induced extreme weather events. However, it is also one of the countries in Asia and in the tropical Pacific Ocean that experiences the effects of the El Niño Southern Oscillation (ENSO), a slow onset event. The current disaster risk reduction (DRR) system is focused on rapid onset events such as typhoons and storm surges. This chapter discusses the impacts of ENSO on farmers and fisher folks and how the gaps in disaster risk reduction governance for slow onset events has exposed the need to develop new protocols to address these slow onset disasters. Available with subscription or purchase |
Microhabitats reduce animal’s exposure to climate extremesBackgroundThe Scheffers et al. (2014) paper discusses the effect of microhabitats and their corresponding microclimates on ectotherm species in a warming macroclimate. Available with subscription or purchase |
Leaders in Action: Success Stories from the TropicsBackgroundThe Environmental Leadership and Training Initiative (ELTI) seeks to seeks to train and support people to restore and conserve tropical forest landscapes. Since 2006, the organizations has engaged with thousands of people both through their in-person and online training platforms and through follow-up support and mentorship. This paper highlights select inspirational stories from ELTI alum. These stories come from the Neotropics, including Panama, Colombia, and Brazil, and Asia, including Indonesia, Singapore, and the Phillipines. Open access copy available |
Rainforestation Case Study: The Cienda-San Vicente Farmers Association ExperienceBackgroundOpen access copy available |
