Assessment of Community Vulnerability to Riverbank Erosion in Esperanza, Agusan Del Sur, Philippines

Abstract

As a natural phenomenon, most rivers constantly undergo a series of erosion processes along their banks. Erosion, could be triggered by anthropogenic activities. This study assessed the vulnerability of selected communities in the Municipality of Esperanza, Agusan del Sur, Philippines in response to prevalent riverbank erosion at Wawa river. This study partly used the Livelihood Vulnerability Index (LVI) and also used a structured interview schedule to gather information about the socio-economic characteristics, distance of houses and agricultural lands from the river, and practices and strategies against riverbank erosion. Information gathered were categorized into sensitivity, exposure and adaptive capacity. Results showed that barangay Crossing Luna was most vulnerable in terms of sensitivity and exposure while Piglawigan was more vulnerable in terms of adaptive capacity. On the other hand, riverbanks of barangay Dakutan and Crossing Luna are more vulnerable to erosion. In general, Crossing Luna was found to be the most vulnerable among the three communities with a combined index of 0.02. The study also showed that the LVI is a relevant tool for decision making in determining which community needs most help in times of calamity due to riverbank erosion.