Palawan, Philippines

On Palawan island in the Philippines, an MLA approach was used in the context of the EU funded project 'Leveling the Playing Field’. This project aims to help stakeholders in Indonesia, Malaysia and the Philippines achieve natural resources management. Stakeholders have different interests, goals and views on how natural resources should be managed- especially the views of traditional communities may be harder to solicit.

The MLA approach was used to assess how a Batak community from Palawan uses and perceives its natural resources. As well as revealing their perceptions about the environment, MLA provided biodiversity information on the different types of landscapes and the condition of the forests. Information was also gathered on how the Batak think about the future of these landscapes and what role they would like to play in the management of the natural resources in their territory. Local communities’ views should be considered in the preparation of a management plan from the very beginning.

Palawan island in the Philippines	Kalakwasan village

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Publication:

Boissière, M. & Liswanti, N. (2006) Biodiversity in a Batak village of Palawan (Philippines). A multidisciplinary assessment of local perceptions and priorities.  CIFOR, Bogor, Indonesia