ABSTRACT
This case study examines the issues affecting water resource management for fisheries and fish farming in the Philippines’ Meycauayan-Marilao-Obando River System (MMORS) using the I-ADApT framework. The study shows how the dynamics of ecological, social and institutional factors, both endogenous and exogenous to MMORS, resulted in water pollution and exposed the vulnerability of the MMORS fishery and fish farming industry. The pollution and resource management in MMORS is being addressed through various levels and scales of adaptation and responses from the individual farmers to multi-stakeholder groups and institutions. The approaches that worked in the area and could be further improved and expanded to address river pollution and coastal resource management challenges include the use of a whole-of-policy approach, the application of ecosystem-based and livelihood-based approaches to fish and water resource management, promotion of co-management and multi-stakeholder engagement including accountability and integration of scientific and local ecological knowledge.
