Knowledge, Attitude and Practices toward Protection and Sustainable Management of Riverine Ecosystems in Goa and Mt. Isarog Territories

The extent of knowledge and attitude the people have over the riverine ecosystems and the practices they employ in using them significantly impact the sustainability of these ecosystems. The low level of knowledge on ecosystem dynamics and negative attitude towards riverine ecosystem protection aggravate unsustainable practices aside from abetting low compliance to rules for rationally managing rivers. A deeper understanding of people’s knowledge, attitude and practices is crucial in developing interventions that promote sustainability of riverine ecosystems and resources. This paper characterizes the knowledge, attitude and practices of households on the conservation and sustainable management of riverine ecosystems. The data were generated using survey and analyzed employing descriptive statistics. Results indicated that some households are highly aware of the rivers but knowledge of its names, locations, and network connections are inadequate. Majority expressed positive attitude on aspects of ecosystem governance such as local knowledge, access to decision-making, participation in ecosystem governance, resources, environmental services to society, water quality monitoring, law enforcement, and livelihood. The practices employed by households are dominantly extractive in nature which include quarrying or sand mining (30%), throwing of garbage in the river (18%) and unsustainable fishing (45%). The mixed findings on households’ knowledge, attitude and practices reflected their ambiguous relationship to resource management principles induced by distinct socio-economic and cultural realities of the area which include sociodemographic condition, land tenure and political complexities. This paper suggests that public officials may take advantage of the highly positive attitude of households as a good indication of a welcoming disposition towards riverine ecosystem conservation and management. It recommends that a holistic riverine ecosystem governance must be developed and implemented employing both evidence-based and local knowledge-based management, promoting multi-stakeholder participation in decision making, restoration of riverine ecosystem and supporting social enterprise development such as riverine ecotourism.