In the Aklan River Watershed Forest Reserve in the Philippines, conflicting development plans and unsustainable practices threaten ecological integrity. In this project, local citizen science will address these threats by establishing safeguards for watershed conservation, inclusive governance of protected areas, and community-led nature-based solutions.
Environmental pressures go unheard
The Aklan River Watershed Forest Reserve (ARWFR) is the main water source for Aklan province of the Philippines, providing vital ecological services to surrounding communities. A portion of the watershed is an ancestral domain of the Indigenous group Akeanon Bukidnon, they safeguard and depend on the area for shelter, food, medicine and livelihood.
The reserve also hosts critically endangered species such as the rufous-headed hornbill and the Visayan warty pig and plays a vital role as a carbon sink. Keeping the ARWFR in good health is foundational to sustaining local communities, Indigenous knowledge systems, and native biodiversity.
But a lack of national and local conservation policies poses severe threats to the reserve, leading to the spread of a variety of unsustainable practices: slash-and-burn farming, human encroachment, and large-scale infrastructure projects. These all contribute to nature degradation and habitat disturbance.
Inclusive and effective governance to safeguard the ARWFR for future generations is vitally needed, but current legislation limits the environmental attention the watershed receives.
Indigenous voices in decision-making spaces
The project aims to contribute with scientific knowledge of local biodiversity and ecological practices to influence the development of inclusive policies and plans on protected area management in the municipalities of Madalag and Libacao.
With a focus on gender equality and social inclusion, Haribon Foundation and partners acknowledge the critical role of traditionally marginalised groups, including Indigenous Peoples, women, smallholder farmers, and young people, in nature conservation research and policymaking.
Once Indigenous Peoples have a seat at the governance table, their traditional knowledge can inform the research lens for conservationists and contribute to the development of fully socially inclusive policies – Ritchel Cahilig, Haribon Foundation
The project will mobilise 100 individuals for participatory research, focusing on data collection and analysis. This will involve training Indigenous Peoples and local communities as citizen scientists, enabling them to actively monitor ecosystems. By doing so, they will contribute valuable insights to the development of evidence-based policies that promote biodiversity conservation and climate resilience.
The project will also facilitate the meaningful participation of local stakeholders, particularly the traditionally marginalised voices, in governance spaces, alongside key stakeholders within the reserve, ensuring equitable decision-making and strengthening their role in protected area governance. This initiative will equip them to lead initiatives to implement nature-based solutions, supporting sustainable livelihoods while reducing environmental pressures on the ARWFR.