Document Type
Conference Proceeding
Publication Date
12-1-2025
Abstract
Mining within ancestral territories reveals an ongoing conflict between technical viability and Indigenous consent. This collaborative study, conducted by an engineering scholar and a policy researcher of Indigenous heritage in Benguet among the Ibaloi and Kankanaey peoples, investigates how risk transparency and policy alignment can bridge existing divides, while formulating principles applicable to other Indigenous mining contexts. The study provides an initial evaluation of the feasibility of a proposed large-scale mining operation within a risk-informed, data-driven governance framework. Three elements of engineering risk were assessed utilizing literature-derived and proxy parameters: (1) Land degradation is indicated by a Soil Productivity Index (SPI) of 0.21, signifying severe productivity loss without rehabilitation; (2) Rainfall-induced slope instability is evidenced by a Critical Rainfall Threshold (CRT) ratio of 1.15 ( ≥1 = very high susceptibility), which denotes increased hazard when rainfall surpasses safe limits; and (3) Community benefit, evaluated through Net Community Benefit (NCB), reveals a positive surplus of ₱18,660 per month per household — although this margin diminishes when concealed livelihood costs are considered and remains temporally constrained due to finite and non renewable extraction. A preliminary policy analysis contextualizes these findings within Indigenous governance frameworks, highlighting how transparent metrics might enhance Free, Prior, and Informed Consent (FPIC) discussions. The paper argues that correlating environmental and socioeconomic risk indicators with adaptive policy and participatory decision-making processes might facilitate collective, evidence- informed stewardship of ancestral lands and promote effective governance strategies in contexts where Indigenous communities encounter mining pressures.
Recommended Citation
Edwin, Izech Brian O. and Recto, King Harold A., (2025). Engineering Risk and Indigenous Resilience toward Intelligent Decision Support for Mining in Ancestral Lands. Archīum.ATENEO.
https://archium.ateneo.edu/ecce-faculty-pubs/196
Included in
Environmental Engineering Commons, Environmental Monitoring Commons, Environmental Policy Commons, Geology Commons, Geotechnical Engineering Commons, Hydrology Commons, Mining Engineering Commons, Natural Resources and Conservation Commons, Policy Design, Analysis, and Evaluation Commons, Public Administration Commons, Public Policy Commons, Systems Engineering Commons
Comments
Presented in:
17th International Conference on Humanoid, Nanotechnology, Information Technology, Communication and Control, Environment, and Management
November 28 - December 1, 2025
Waterfront Hotel, Cebu City, Philippines