Calamianes Watershed Characterization Study for Resilience Building The Calamianes Group of Islands is considered as one of the most biodiverse in the Province of Palawan and the Philippines. It comprises the municipality of Coron, Busuanga, Culion and Linapacan covering more than 160 islands with a total land area of 177,709 hectares and population of 109,656 (NSO, 2015). With the heavy dependence on natural resources for livelihood, increased tourism activities, population growth, illegal activities, and the impact of natural hazards and climate change, ecosystem abilities to provide essential services including water is threatening the economic development and survivability of its people. 
In the islands, poverty incidence remains high at 60.57% and the majority of the inhabitants are still deprived from access to safe drinking water as resources are unprotected, undeveloped, diminishing, getting salty and polluted. Community and the Local Government (LGU) response to protect and conserve the remaining forest cover, especially in watershed areas, are very limited resulting to its inability to provide sufficient water during dry season. 
With a -25% decrease in rainfall, decreased number of days of wet days, and warmer dry season climate projections for the Calamian in the next 30-50 years, the pressure for both communities and local governments to adapt to the changing climate necessitates concrete adaptation actions toward protection and conservation of existing watershed and other water resources areas. As a critical resource, lack of water impacts health, hygiene, food security, livelihood options, the ecosystem and reduces capacity to cope with climate change or hazards. Ineffective governance, lack of community awareness and support, weak protection and conservation and unsustainable development of forest and watershed resources due to gaps in scientific data result to environmental degradation, depletion and exploitation of natural resources, water scarcity and high vulnerability to climate and disaster hazards and extreme poverty. The project goal is to increase capacity for evidence-based integrated forest and watershed management, protection, and conservation for resiliency through watershed characterization and vulnerability assessment in four (4) major Calamian watershed areas.

There are 3 sub-objectives, namely:
1) Watershed characterization and vulnerability assessment in four (4) major Calamian
watershed areas provides basis for analysis and planning for resilience, sustainable development,
conservation and improved environmental services.
2) Community, CSO and LGU partnerships for resilience are enhanced through capacity
building and improved forest governance.
3) Multi-stakeholder advocacy strategy on forest and watershed protection, management
and conservation supports integration of resilience priorities in LGUs plans, policies, budgets and
new project proposals. Direct: At least 27, 988 inhabitants in four (4) major watershed to be covered in the assessment. The proposed intervention seeks to engage at least 100 community members in 4 target watersheds, which will include Barangay officials, representatives of fisher folk, farmers, women’s groups, and community organizations. This will include at least 50 women including representatives from Indigenous Groups, women’s groups and livelihoods groups. 

Indirect: 109,656 population of the Calamianes, as the capacities built in assessing the 4 watersheds targeted in this project will be used for replication to other watersheds in the 4 target municipalities.