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Chapter 1
INTRODUCTION

Background of the Study

The word climate change has been a mantra not just in the
field of Environment, but as well as in other fields such as Science,
Economics, Development, Public Administration, and Governance.
This might be because it affects all aspects of life and impacts all the
different sectors in the society. Apparently, its effects are already felt
from increasing global temperature, unpredictable to extreme weather
conditions, and other catastrophic calamities.
At the global scale, a wide range of studies looked into the
adaptive capacity of different countries. While it is a global problem, it
will have an unequal effect on the worlds poorest and most vulnerable
people (IPCC, 2007) and the need to support adaptation is now
growing in urgency because of its inevitable impacts (Ayers, 2010). In
the Philippine setting, climate change has already become part of the
local parlance. Being archipelagic and because of its location,

Philippines has been prone to almost all types of natural hazards

(Climate Change Commission, 2011). More so, with agriculture
contributing 14 percent to GDP and employing over a third of the
population, agriculture and natural resources sector are now highly
vulnerable because of its direct exposure to natural disasters and their
unwelcome consequences (Israel & Briones, 2012).
Considerably, Davao is now one of the fastest growing cities in
the country in terms of population and economy. However, with its
increasing industrial, transportation, and agricultural activities, it had
also increased the amount of greenhouse gases released in the
atmosphere which was noted to be the primary cause of global
warming and eventually climate change according to the Interface
Development Interventions (2012). More so, a significant part of the 3 rd
Congressional District of Davao is perfect for agriculture. This is why
almost all barangays in this district are into agricultural farming. This
has led to the development of plantations and industries dedicated to
the growth and nurturing of coconuts, banana, coffee, pineapple and
other agricultural produces. By linking agriculture and climate
change, these communities are particularly vulnerable to the impacts

of climate change as they are resource dependent, fragile systems,

constantly adjusting to changing climatic patterns.
On the other hand, the Watershed Protection, Conservation and
Management Ordinance of Davao, or commonly known as the
Watershed Code initially delineated on the ground nineteen (19)
kilometres of Davaos watershed areas identified as Environmentally
Critical Areas (ECAs) in the City to identify its conservation areas and
agro- forestry/agricultural non-tillage areas. The barangays delineated
are the Barangays of Gumalang, Tambobong, Tamugan, Tawan-Tawan,
and Wines. With the delineation already been established in these
barangays, the researcher chose them as respondents to the Study.
Though the concept of climate change has long been introduced
globally, a comparatively little work has been done on local-level
responses to climate change and the variability, especially the
institutional processes that shape them (Rubinoff, et al., 2013).
According to Duerden (2004) as cited by MacKendrick (2009), there
was a lack of understanding on how climate change will manifest at
the local level of human activity and experience; therefore, the
barangay being the basic unit of the local government has to be

explored as well in order to assess its adaptive capacity to climate

change.
Considering these knowledge gaps and the impacts of climate
change that have now been increasingly felt by the citizens of Davao
especially of those who are generally resource dependent, the
proponent explored the key measures of adaptive capacity to climate
change at the local level by looking the barangays of

Gumalang,

Tambobong, Tamugan, Tawan-Tawan, and Wines.

Statement of the Problem
The study was conducted to determine the factors contributing
to the adaptive capacity to climate change of the five selected
barangays in the Third Congressional District of Davao City.
Specifically, the study sought to answer the following questions:
1. What
a.
b.
c.
d.
e.
2. What

is the profile of the barangay in terms of:

Population Density;
Slope;
Susceptibility to Erosion;
Susceptibility to Landslide; and
Susceptibility to Flooding?
is the socio-demographic profile of

respondents as to:

the

a.
b.
c.
d.
e.
3. What

Age;
Sex;
Educational Attainment;
Number of Children in family; and
Source of family income?
is the factor structure of the adaptive capacity of

the selected barangays in the Third Congressional

District of Davao City to respond to climate change?
4. What interventions can be undertaken by the selected
Barangays

in

order

to

strengthen

their

adaptive

capacity to climate change?

Objectives of the Study

There are a probable number of measures that contribute to a
communitys adaptive capacity in responding to climate change. Thus,
the major objective of the study was to find out the highly relative and
dominant measures contributing to the adaptive capacity of the five
selected barangays in the third congressional district of Davao City,
and give recommendations based on the principles and concepts in the
literature. This study also specifically aimed to determine the barangay
profile in terms of its population density, slope, susceptibility to

erosion, landslide and flooding; the socio-demographic profile of the

respondents; the factor structure of the adaptive capacity of the
selected

barangays;

and

draft

interventions

and

make

recommendations to strengthen their adaptive capacity to climate

change.
Significance of the Study
This study was primarily conducted in order to determine the
factors determining the adaptive capacity to climate change of selected
Barangays in the Third Congressional District of Davao City. Moreover,
with climate change now being felt locally, the study will be beneficial
to the following stakeholders:
Residents

of

the

selected

barangays

in

the

Third

Congressional District of Davao City. The findings of the study will

present and provide a clear picture to the communities of what
measures can eventually help them in adapting to climate change.
The Barangay. The barangay can compare their existing
adaptive measures and practices in their locality with the results of

this study and will be able to learn insights and plan out strategic
policies to adapt to climate change.
The General Public. The study is significant to the general
public in its provision of additional information on climate change and
adaptive capacity. The policy interventions to be presented can be
replicated or used as reference by the general public for personal
application as such.
Students and Researchers. The results of this study could be
used as a reference and secondary data for a similar or more
comprehensive research in the future. More so, this can bring insight
and contribute more to related literatures and reviews needed
particularly on adaptive capacity and on the factors contributing to it
in order to respond to climate change especially in the local setting.

Scope and Limitation of the Study

The researcher conducted the study on the measures of adaptive
capacity to climate change in the following barangays: Gumalang,
Tambobong, Tamugan, Tawan-Tawan and Wines where ECAs were
delineated as provided in the Watershed Code.

Moreover, the respondents of the study were limited to the

residents of the above-mentioned barangays. This study is further
delimited to probable measures that contribute or can contribute to
the adaptive capacity of these barangays to respond to climate change.
Some of these factors include but not limited to Economic Resources,
Technology, Information and Skills, Infrastructure, Institutions and
Equity.

Definition of Terms
The following terms used in this study were operationally
defined as follows:
Access to Information refers to the availability of information to
be used by the community.
Access to Resources refers to the availability of resources to be
used and utilized by the community.
Access to Services refers to the availability of services provided
to the community.
Adaptation

refers

to

the

adjustments

to

minimize

the

anticipated impacts of climate change on humans and the ecosystems.

Adaptive Capacity refers to the potential or ability of a system,
region, or community to adapt to the effects or impacts of climate
change.
Adequate Earnings pertains to the having an income sufficient
for living and being able to eat three meals in a day, provide education
to the children, etc.)

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Climate Change refers to any significant change in the

measures of climate lasting for an extended period of time.
Climate-Smart Agriculture is an agricultural approach that
involves different elements both on-farm and beyond the farm that
incorporates technologies, policies, institutions and investments in
local contexts.
Community Preparedness refers to the abilities of communities
to prepare for, withstand, respond and recover to the consequences of
an adverse event by having plans in place.
Environmental Concerns refers to the set actions ones do to
show his/her care for the environment.
External Support refers to the institutions outside of the
barangay that provides or could provide assistance and help to them.
Farm Support Facilities refers to the set of services, tools and
abilities that could assist the community in their farming activities.
Green Ordinances refer to the local laws that protect and
conserve the environment.

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Infrastructure are structures that cater to the needs of

transportation, communication, agriculture, water supply, storm water
and flooding, health, energy and investments in public and private
buildings of all types.
Infrastructure

Resiliency

refers

to

the

ability

of

an

infrastructure to deal with extreme events and climate change impacts

with minimum negative impacts on the population.
Initiatives and Opportunities refer to the chances and
possibilities of the community to provide and facilitate efforts to
increase their adaptive capacity to climate change.
Knowledge and Information refers to the ability to collect,
analyse and disseminate knowledge and information in support of
adaptation activities.
Policy and Legislation is a definite course or method of action
selected (by government, institution, group or individual) from among
alternatives and in the light of given conditions to guide and, usually,
to determine present and future decisions, together with the related
actions designed to implement them.

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Population refers to the number of households in a particular

barangay.
Problem Solving Skills refers to the ability of the community to
work together to solve problems in the community.
Self-Organization refers to the capacity of the community to
establish

and

operate

small

group

(organization)

through

participatory governance and empowerment of people in adaptive

institutions.
Technology refers to the tools, machineries, modifications or
arrangement used in order to provide easier access of doing things and
in improving things.
Technology Adoption refers to the capacity and willingness of
the community to accept and implement new technologies.
Use of Renewable Energy refers to actual use of the community
of

those

energy

characteristic
replenishable.

is

resources
that

they

and
are

technologies

whose

non-depletable

or

common
naturally

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