Assessment Of Water Resources Management of Indigenous People in Pampanga

Abstract

Limited human access to water makes well-managed water resources crucial. Indigenous people (IP) are prone to water scarcity. A shortage of water supplies mainly causes this obstacle; IP’s practice techniques can also be a concern. This study assessed the indigenous people’s water resources management in Pampanga, including the information about the water availability, practices in utilizing the water, resource sufficiency, and the actions taken by respective Local Government Units (LGU) in the management of water resources. Cross-sectional quantitative and qualitative methods were administered to evaluate the problem. Two communities with the highest population in Pampanga were chosen; one hundred forty-six (146) households in Barangay Nabuclod, Floridablanca, and one hundred sixty-nine (169) families in Barangay Camias, Porac were surveyed to represent two communities by non-probability convenience sampling. In each community, community leaders and the LGU officer-in-charge were also interviewed to determine the actions taken by the government. The findings showed that, one characteristic that affects the managerial practices of IPs is the low benefit from natural water resources, which leads to poor managing behavior. It was also determined that the knowledge about good water management is crucial; the lack of laws and regulations in their civilization contributes to the depletion of their natural resources. Seminars and training were also significant factors enabling IPs to be accountable for their help. The statistics suggested that infrastructure support is not particularly beneficial because a project will fail as long as the managerial behavior of IPs is insufficient. Overall, accessibility of the resources should be a top priority for them to learn how to improve and make a good management of water.