Adaptive capacity of local communities to flash floods and landslides: Comparison of indigenous and non-indigenous people in Eastern Mindanao

Abstract

The paper assessed and compared the adaptive capacity of indigenous peoples (IPs) to non-IPs in five villages that were affected by Typhoon Bopha (Pablo) in Eastern Mindanao in 2012. The flash flood and landslide disasters were caused by exposure to heavy rainfall combined with sensitivity of the environment in the region. Because these climatic and ecological risks are expected to persist in the future, it is necessary to assess the capacity of the communities to adapt to the socio-economic impacts of disasters. The assessment was based on survey data that were analyzed using factor and cluster analyses. The factor analysis was used to identify the most relevant factors affecting adaptive capacity and cluster analysis was used to develop typologies of adaptive capacity. The results revealed that a higher number of IPs have low and very low adaptive capacity than non-IPs. The main factor that lowers the adaptive capacity of the former is (lack of) access to resources including education and calamity support as well as skilled and contract-basis types of employment. The IPs have low adaptive capacity to both short- and long-term impacts of typhoon-induced floods and landslides. Education and capacity building are essential to improving IPs’ access to resources and thus increasing adaptive capacity.