Authors: Maliao, Ronald; Jaspe, Beverly;Cahilig, Ritchel;Cahilig, Richard;

We explored how traditional ecological knowledge (TEK) as a subset of social capital fosters local socio-ecological resilience to climate change (CC) and enhances biodiversity conservation efforts in the Philippines. We adopted a mixed-method purposive sampling of the 126 fishing households living within the Nabaoy River Watershed located in Aklan province, Central Philippines, and assessed their TEK with relevance to riverine biodiversity conservation and CC awareness and knowledge. The high level of CC awareness (98%) on-site is associated with extreme warming and erratic weather patterns, which are attributed to anthropogenic causes by 62% of the respondents. The most significant perceived impact of CC is the diminishing fish harvest from the Nabaoy river. TEK on-site reflects an extensive understanding of local environmental changes and resource fluctuations, reflecting the intimate relationship of subsistence communities with their immediate environments. The social taboos subscribed to by the local fishers in the Nabaoy River are largely based on the mythical spirits that are pervasive in indigenous cultures worldwide. These TEK, including social taboos, are crucial components of the local social capital and can reinforce biodiversity conservation in the Philippines and elsewhere, particularly in data-depauperate areas and in situations where formal management interventions are lacking.