Participatory Resource and Landscape Services Mapping of an Upland Mining Community in Itogon, Benguet, Philippines

Abstract

Long-term sustainable management of mining areas entails a better understanding of human-environment interaction, including environmental impacts, land use, and landscape services among local communities. The study area, Barangay Ampucao in Itogon, Benguet, has long been a mining community hosting a sixty-five-year-old large-scale mining company and several small-scale gold mining. In this research, participatory mapping and focus group discussion were conducted to characterize the human-environment interactions of an upland mining community in the Philippine context through a community-drawn resource map outlining their natural, economic, and social resources. Sketch maps were digitized using QGIS 3.22.8 and analyzed for hotspot analyses using kernel density estimation. Results show that Barangay Ampucao has a mixed-use landscape with upland farming, family-operated livestock raising, large-scale Cu-Au mining, scattered small-scale gold mining activities, and a tourist eco-hiking trail. Landscape services enjoyed by the Ampucao community from their environment include freshwater, fuel, food, geological resources, spiritual values, aesthetics, and social relations. Spatial patterns of the landscape services show general clustering where the sitios (neighborhoods) are located. Identifying and mapping the community’s local spatial knowledge are critical inputs to sustainable management of mineral-rich areas, policy guides for mixed-used natural resources management, and final mine decommissioning and rehabilitation plans.