INTEGRATED ASSESSMENT IN THE PHILIPPINES

1
AN INTEGRATED ASSESSENT OF IMPACTS, ADAPTATION
AND VULNERABILITY IN WATERSHED AREAS AND
COMMUNITIES IN SOUTHEAST ASIA
Juan M. Pulhin Ekawati S. Wahyuni
2
Objectives of the Presentation

• To briefly discuss
• Overview of the research project
• Analytical and methodological gaps before the
  workshop
• Proposed analytical and methodological tools to
  address gaps and influence decision makers being
  targeted by the project

3
Overview

• Watersheds and their importance in the
  Philippines
• critical to economic development and
  environmental protection
• More than 70 of the total land area lies within
  watersheds
• 421 principal river basins, 18 of which are major
  basins with drainage areas of more than 140,000
  ha

4

• gt 1.5 M ha of agricultural lands derive
  irrigation water from watersheds
• Hydropower major energy source
• 18-20M people living in uplands

5
Project objectives

• Assess the impacts of climate change to water
  resources, forest ecosystems, and social systems
  of the watersheds
• Conduct integrated vulnerability assessment of
  natural and social systems in the watershed
  areas
• Develop adaptation strategies for natural water
  resources, forests ecosystems and social systems
• Promote stakeholder participation in the research
  process
• Contribute to peer reviewed literature and
• Help build capacity of local scientists to
  conduct integrated assessment studies.

6
Research Methods

• Study will focus on a watershed each in the
  Philippines (Pantabangan watershed) and Indonesia
  (Tulang Bawang Watershed).
• Stakeholders will be involved at various steps of
  the research process
• Local communities will also be able to
  participate in impact assessment and adaptation
  planning

7
General Conceptual framework of the study
(Original)
GMC Climate Scenario
National Climate Scenario
Land use and cover Change in the Watershed
Impacts on water, forests and communities
Adaptation Assessment
Vulnerability Assessment
8
Research Framework at the Watershed Level
9
Expected Outcomes

• results will be useful to national policy makers
  as well as watershed planners in SE Asian
  countries
• enable local communities in watershed areas to
  adapt to climate change

10
ANALYTICAL AND METHODOLOGICAL GAPS BEFORE THE
WORKSHOP

• Balancing top-down with bottom-up analysis to
  make assessment more robust
• Engaging the stakeholders participation in the
  research process
• Promoting the use of the research outputs by
  decision makers

11
ADDRESSING ANALYTICAL AND METHODOLOGICAL GAPS

• Balancing top-down with bottom-up approach
• Revised research framework to incorporate current
  coping strategies and vulnerability assessment
• Methods Assessment of current vulnerability and
  adaptation strategies of relevant stakeholders
• Tools Stakeholder/Institutional Analysis, PRA
  techniques (time lines, focus group discussions,
  seasonal calendar, wealth ranking, in-depth
  interviews)

12
General Conceptual framework of the study
(Revised)
GMC Climate Scenario
National Climate Scenario
Land use and cover Change in the Watershed
Impacts on water, forests and communities
Current Vulnerability Assessment
Climate Variability/ Extremes and Current Coping
Mechanisms
Future Vulnerability Assessment
Future Adaptation Assessment
13
ADDRESSING ANALYTICAL AND METHODOLOGICAL GAPS

• Engaging the stakeholders participation in the
  research process
• Method Multi-spatial, Multi-level Stakeholder
  Analysis/Involvement
• from on-site and downstream communities and
  institutions to the regional and national
  agencies/groups, to the policy makers at the
  various stages of the research process (Scenario
  building, present and future vulnerability and
  adaptation assessment/planning)
• Tools Various tools on SA and Participation,
• Multisectoral consultation,
  Facilitation
• Methods

14
ADDRESSING ANALYTICAL AND METHODOLOGICAL GAPS

• Promoting the use of research outputs by
  decision makers
• Wide range of decision makers involved in the
  project from the de facto resource users to the
  policy makers
• Challenge build awareness and interest on
  climate change in different sectors in the
  process of conducting the research
• Approach Move from a laboratory-oriented to a
  more stakeholder-oriented, advocacy type of
  research

15
ADDRESSING ANALYTICAL AND METHODOLOGICAL GAPS

• Promoting the use of research outputs by
  decision makers
• Tools Various tools on SA and Participation,
• Multi-sectoral consultation, IEC
  tools
• Specifics (other than those mentioned already)
• Development of IEC materials such as posters,
  website, etc.
• Presentation of project concepts/outputs in local
  and national seminars/for a/symposia, etc.
• Incorporation of climate change topics in
  existing university courses or development of new
  courses and student researches
• Use of spatial analysis (GIS) to better
  communicate research results
• Bringing research results in the halls of the
  Congress.

16
CONCLUSION

• Both the research process and outputs are
  important to influence decision makers
• If stakeholders are aware and involved, the
  likelihood that they will use the research
  outputs/results increases
• In climate change assessment, the challenge is
  to put more human dimension and local
  perspectives into the modelers equation

17
Thank you!