Drivers Of Deforestation And Forest Degradation In Palawan, Philippines: An Analysis Using Social-Ecological Systems (SES) And Institutional Analysis And Development (IAD) Approaches

Abstract

Palawan Island is home to one of Southeast Asia’s largest, oldest, and most diversified rainforests hence it was called the «Last Frontier.» However, the island province’s forest is contending with increased conversion of forest lands to plantation and household-level agriculture, intensive mineral mining, illegal logging, and other pressures on its ecosystems. Understanding these factors in relation to the prevalence of deforestation and forest degradation in Palawan is imperative. This paper analyzed these drivers of deforestation and forest degradation in Palawan using the social-ecological systems (SES) and institutional analysis development (IAD) frameworks. A literature review was conducted using a variety of web-based databases and sources and additional data were collected from official websites and reports. The identified major drivers of deforestation and forest degradation in the province include increasing population, migration from lowland to upland areas, illegal logging, mining, wide-scale kaingin and oil palm plantation, wildlife poaching, and weak policy implementation and enforcement. These identified drivers can be the target of the government of Palawan for their forest management plans. Additional findings and recommendations of this paper will also aid in the forest management planning in Palawan and other areas where similar settings exist.

Detection of Heavy Metals, Their Distribution in Tilapia spp., and Health Risks Assessment

“…HMs introduced to the aquatic environment, primarily as a result of human activities [ 15 ], accumulate in the water environment and subsequently pass via the food chain to aquatic organisms [ 16 ]. The quantities of HMs in fish have been intensively examined in many locations throughout the world during the last several decades [ 17 ].…”

Metals and Metalloid Concentrations in Fish, Its Spatial Distribution in PPC, Philippines and the Attributable Risks

“…Puerto Princesa City (PPC) is the capital city of Palawan Province in the Philippines. It is an island that has beautiful scenery, stunning islets, and is known for its clean and natural environment [ 19 ]. PPC is one of the tourist capitals of the Philippines and the main supplier of marine fish [ 20 ].…”