An Overview Of Our Solution
- Population Impacted:
- Continent: Asia
Address
San Isidro
Calape
6328
Philippines
Population impacted
Size
The island barangay of Mantatao is 7.8 kilometers away from the university and the town proper of Calape and has total area of 51.88 hectares.
Major Occupations
Local resources the community depends on, and for what purpose
Local threats to resources
Climate Hazards
Level of sensitivity
Level of adaptive capacity
Education is fundamental to empower the community in developing climate change adaptation and mitigation measures. IEC activities or the weekly orientations will highlight the following: climate change, putting a halt on destructive activities and overexploitation of marine resources, mangrove reforestation, establishment of sea grass protected area, enforcement of laws in the management of fish sanctuary and buffer zone in shorelines. The later is very important to increase the adaptive capacity of the inhabitants towards sea level rise. The youth taking the lead in regular IEC activities in the island will serve as an inspiration of the local leaders to think of tangible solutions to minimize the impacts of climate change especially sea level rise. The expected outcome of the project is for the local government and the community to undertake programs relevant to climate change adaption and mitigation such as but not limited to diversification of land-based alternative livelihoods, improving food security through sustainable multitrophic mariculture, strict enforcement of fishery laws, establishment of mangrove reforestation area and seagrass sanctuary, organization of local disaster risk reduction management team and management of waste and water resources. Benchmarking through PCRA will show the villagers the current status of their fishery resources and the socio-economic condition of the community. The baseline data will serve as the basis for any interventions that the community will undertake. Having also the baseline data, SACCE and MaYBe together with the local government unit and the two people?s organizations can embark on regular monitoring of the marine resources using participatory approaches (e.g. manta tow, snorkel survey and point intercept). Taking advantage of the presence of mariculture activities in the island is to conduct multithropic mariculture experiments. These researches will convince the locals to integrate finfish culture and seaweed farming into one system. The results of the assessment, monitoring and research will be presented to the community through local theatrical production through the members of SACCE and MaYBe for the villagers to understand it better.
Ecological Costs
Ecological Benefit
Economic Indicators used to measure benefit
Results of biodiversity monitoring in the MPA (benthic cover, fish abundance)
Economic Cost
Cost of community meetings Cost of biodiversity monitoring Cost of the experiments Cost of multitrophic mariculture
Economic Benefit
Additional income generated from multitrophic mariculture projects
Ecological Indicators used to measure benefit
Community reports Household income
What were/are the challenges your community faced in implementing this solution?
Giving chance to the youth especially the students to do their share to combat climate change has a lot of potential and promises. Since the project will mainly focus on education and research, there is a need to push the community to do their part and that is to implement programs on climate change adaptation and mitigation.
Describe the community-based process used to develop the solution including tools and processes used
The whole idea of this project is to advance the current initiative of BISU Calape on climate change. The project will be called Student Advocates for Climate Change Education (SACCE). The acronym SACCE will be pronounced as ?saksi?, it is a Filipino term for witness. The students and their generation are unquestionably the witness of climate change, as witness they are not just mere spectators of this phenomenon but are willing agents and witness of societal transformation in adapting and mitigating the effects of climate change. Making the students as forefront in this project is taking advantage of their inherent ideals to become witness and agents of change. The RDE office of BISU Calape will facilitate the organization of SACCE and subsequent capability building. The team will be composed primarily of Bachelor of Science in Fisheries students but it is not limited to. The main purpose of tapping these students for SACCE is that they are already knowledgeable in fisheries science and it is easier to build their capacity and capability on climate change in fisheries. Moreover, the whole experience would serve as their on the job training in coastal resource management and they could also conduct their research related to climate change (e.g. multitrophic mariculture) during the course of the project implementation. This would augment their expenses in research and on the job training as part of their curriculum in fisheries considering that these students are coming from low income families and a few are even working students serving as household help. The intervention of SACCE will be anchored on community-based process to develop long lasting solution to combat climate change through education and research. Continuous education among the community residents is imperative to build their capacity on climate change adaptation and mitigation. Regular weekly orientations about climate change awareness, marine biology and ecology and waste management will be conducted in elementary schools and community meetings. Research will focus on benchmarking through Participatory Coastal Resource Appraisal (PCRA) and conduct of multitrophic mariculture experiments. These activities will be undertaken in coordination with the local government unit of Calape and Mantatao and the two people?s organization in the island namely Mantatao Fishermen Association (MAFO) and Mantatao Seaweeds Growers Association (MASGRA). A Marine Youth Brigade (MaYBe) comprising of out of school youth, members of the Sangguniang Kabataan (local youth council) and other willing youth volunteers will be organized in the community to serve as the counterpart of SACCE. They will be trained to assist in the conduct of IEC and research activities. The project will be institutionalized under the RDE office of BISU Calape. Hence, it will be included as a regular program of the university. A memorandum of agreement will be forged between the local government of Calape and Mantatao and BISU Calape. To sustain the partnership, the university will lobby for the passing of an ordinance to support the project especially in the organization of MaYBe and the local government?s assurance to undertake climate change adaptation and mitigation measures as outcome of the project.
Climate hazard of concern
How does your solution reduce the exposure of and buffer/protect the ecosystem affected?
The strategies stipulated above may not directly reduce exposure of the marine resources to sea level rise. However, the expected long term outcomes of the project e.g. mangrove reforestation and proper management of marine protected area will significantly reduce the exposure of the ecosystems affected. The presence of mangroves in the coast will prevent massive sand erosion and siltation in the adjoining seagrass and coral reef areas.
How has your solution increased the capacity of the ecosystem to adapt to potential climate changes?
Not applicable
How does your solution reduce the exposure of and buffer/protect the communities affected?
Education will significantly reduce the exposure to sea level rise hazards. Residents in the island will know that building of residential structures towards the shore is no longer safe because of the climate change hazards. The people will be slowly influenced to settle away from the shore. Establishment of mangrove reforestation as one of the expected project outcomes will also serve as natural barrier of the populace during severe storm surges and typhoons.
How does your solution reduce the sensitivity of the communities affected?
Increased level of awareness to the effects of climate change on their properties and the fishery resources will decrease the level of sensitivity of the community. People will know the adverse effects of climate change on the marine resources and subsequently on their livelihoods. This will prompt them to gear up with challenges of climate change.
How has your solution increased the capacity of local communities to adapt to potential climate changes?
A well informed community will significantly increase capacity in adapting to sea level rise. People in the island will know and anticipate that calamities become more frequent and alarming because of climate change. They will be aware that marine resources are very vulnerable to the climate hazards. Benchmarking through PCRA will show the villagers the current status of their fishery resources and the socio-economic conditions of the community. Results of the multitrophic mariculture experiment will convince the locals to integrate fish culture activities and seaweed farming into one system. Thus, the expected outcome of the project is for the local government and the community to undertake programs relevant to climate change adaptation and mitigation measures such as but not limited to diversification of land-based alternative livelihoods, improving food security through sustainable multitrophic mariculture, strict enforcement of fishery laws, establishment of mangrove reforestation area and seagrass sanctuary, organization of local disaster risk reduction team and management of waste and water resources.
Can this solution be replicated elsewhere?
The project will serve as a model for other learning institution to partner a local community in resolving the issues of climate change. The acceptance and support of the local leaders and the community in general would be a big factor for the success of the project. For the project to be sustained, the academe and the partner community needs to institutionalize the project. This project could be included as part of the curriculum of fisheries students in the university and other state colleges and universities offering Bachelor of Science in Fisheries.