Water Security and Local Conflicts: Analyzing Resource-Based Disputes in Trinidad, Bohol

Abstract

Water security remains a pressing challenge in the Philippines, especially in rural communities like Trinidad, Bohol, where river degradation from agricultural runoff has made natural water sources unsafe for consumption. The high cost of deep well construction further limits access, disproportionately affecting economically disadvantaged households and intensifying local disputes over scarce potable water, particularly during the dry season. This paper contends that the resulting local disputes highlight the need for deliberative practice in community governance, where actors are brought together, which is instrumental to peace and resource security. Utilizing the lens of political ecology and governance theory in a case study approach, and using key informant interviews and secondary data, particularly using thematic analysis in analyzing the responses of the eight (8) key informants from the interview, we answer how water scarcity for households contributes to social tensions in Trinidad, Bohol, and what governance strategies can mitigate these tensions. The case illustrates that while it has been proven that water resources can instigate tension and conflict, however, participatory approaches and models are potential elements that forward peaceful dialogue through a collective consensus and sense of ownership of the process among community stakeholders.