Biodiversity and Indigenous People Amidst Climate Change: The Case of Palawan, Philippines

Climate change is a change in the state of climate over time, whether caused by natural variability or anthropogenic activities that affect the biophysical environment and our economy, culture, health, security, and others. The greenhouse gas emission in the Philippines increases due to energy consumption, agricultural activities, industrial processes, wastes, and land-use change. Palawan is the largest province in the Philippines with rich biodiversity and is considered the ?Last Ecological Frontier.?The province experiencesimpacts of climate change such as extreme weather, storms, floods, destruction of habitats like mangroves, pests and diseases, disturbances of flora and fauna species, changes in water availability, and changes in aquatic and terrestrial productivity, and others. There are numerous Indigenous Cultural communities in the province likePalaw?an, Batak, Tagbanua, Molbog, Tau?tBato. These tribes commonly practice ?Kaingin? as their primary farming practices but with different belief systems and traditional knowledge and practices. Tribes experience a decline in rice crop harvest from Kaingin farming for subsistence, decline of water availability accessible to the area, a drop of gathered forest products of about 80%-90% based on estimation, damaged property, and reduction of shells and fish harvest. In response, the communities provide adaptation measures such as planting mangroves, using calendar methods for planting, and coastal protection.