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Zoom in, zoom out Scalar politics, master planning, and environmental justice concerns A case-study connecting the Manila Bay Sustainable Development Masterplan to the small-scale fisherfolk and urban poor living along the coastline of Manila Bay Figure 1. Fisherfolk boats, openings in the dyke are to be closed denying access to Manila Bay (picture made by author). MSc thesis by Lieke Brackel, July 2019 Water Resources Management Group Zoom in, zoom out MSc Thesis Zoom in, zoom out: scalar politics, master planning, and environmental justice concerns A case-study connecting the Manila Bay Sustainable Development Masterplan to the small-scale fisherfolk and urban poor living along the coastline of Manila Bay MSc thesis Water Resources Management Group submitted in partial fulfilment of the degree of the Master of Science International Land and Water Management Wageningen University, the Netherlands Date: July 9th, 2019 Student: A.K.C. Brackel (Lieke) Registration number: 950920116120 Thesis code: WRM-80436 Supervisor: Bert Bruins, Wageningen University Second Reader: Prof. Dr. Ir. R.A. Boelens, Wageningen University & University of Amsterdam Examination: Prof. dr. ir. PJGJ Hellegers , Wageningen University Study program: MSc International Land and Water Management Group: Water Resource Management Group Nota Bene: All statements in this thesis are the full and only responsibility of the author. They cannot be attributed to others or affiliated organizations. 2 Wageningen University Abstract Inhabitants of Metro Manila are confronted with ‘How does high-level, ecological delineated, and challenges such as the overall congestion of the long-term planning relate to locally expressed fast-growing city, ecological degradation, and environmental justice concerns?’ aggravated exposure to natural hazards due to climate change. Stakeholders present in- and This qualitative explorative research project around Manila Bay have different interests and attempted to connect the local barangay level in perspectives on how the coastline should develop, Navotas with the high-level MBDSMP planning resulting in fierce competition. process: zooming in and out. Findings are based on a three-month fieldwork period in the Philippines This research focusses on two groups of including ethnographic observations of key events, stakeholders in particular: the urban poor and document analysis, and 37 interviews. By literally small-scale fisherfolk living along the waterways in jumping between these layers of governance, Navotas. They express environmental justice tensions and diverging expectations were concerns about decreased access to the bay and encountered about the role of participation in- and space for social housing (distribution), persistence the objectives and scope of the MBSDMP. of negative stigma and disregard for resource- based livelihoods (recognition), lacking Moreover, this thesis describes how strategic representation, consultation, and information master planning risks aggravating- instead of provision (participation), and the overall addressing environmental justice concerns as degradation of the Manila Bay ecosystem expressed by small-scale fisherfolk and urban poor. (ecological integrity). Most importantly, they Issues most important to these groups can become experience distress as they are uncertain how their sidelined by the choice for the bay-wide scale of livelihoods and homes are influenced by governance. On the other hand, actors can try to development projects requiring land reclamations, use the created invited spaces of participation in construction of the dyke, and/or relocations. the MBSDMP to bring back the human-perspective in strategic master planning. This is especially The Manila Bay Sustainable Development relevant considering the centralizing and Masterplan (MBSDMP) is initiated- and partly militaristic trends in the Philippine planning funded by the Dutch government. This consultancy context. Still, the high-level, ecologically project aims to advice decision-makers within the delineated, and long-term orientation of the Philippine government to steer the development planning exercise does pose challenges for the of Manila Bay into a more ‘sustainable’ and practical organization of participation. Hence, it ‘inclusive’ direction. The expectation has been depends on the theory of change assumptions of raised, that the MBSDMP would be conducted in a actors involved whether (and if so, how) they ‘participatory’ manner, referring to the Dutch Delta believe the MBSDMP could be a useful instrument Approach. Explicitly also including the small-scale to address environmental injustices. fisherfolk and urban poor. And for that local view, you have to zoom in. This thesis does not draw final conclusions about However, choosing to plan for the scale of ‘Manila the particular case of the MBSDMP, as the Bay’ can (unintentionally) influence the rules of the planning process was highly dynamic and still game and/or be used as an active instrument to evolving when the fieldwork period ended. Yet, the win that game. In line with political ecology, this dilemma’s described can inform- and support thesis uses the theoretical frame of scalar politics general reflection by scientists and practitioners on to explore what the MBSDMP case-study could the politics of choosing ecological boundaries as reveal about the main research question: scale of governance, also in other strategic master planning processes. This thesis emphasizes the need to not only zoom out, but also zoom in. 3 Table of contents Abstract .................................................................................................................................................. 3 Table of contents .................................................................................................................................... 4 List of tables and figures ......................................................................................................................... 6 List of abbreviations ............................................................................................................................... 6 Acknowledgements ................................................................................................................................ 7 Chapter 1. Introduction .......................................................................................................................... 8 1.1 Exploring the scene ............................................................................................................... 8 1.2 Problem Statement and research objectives ...................................................................... 11 1.3 Research Questions ............................................................................................................. 12 1.4 Relevance ............................................................................................................................ 13 1.5 Approach and structure of this thesis ................................................................................. 14 Chapter 2. Theoretical Framework ....................................................................................................... 15 2.1 Introduction and overview .................................................................................................. 15 2.2 Actor-oriented approach ..................................................................................................... 15 2.3 Political ecology ................................................................................................................... 17 2.4 Scalar politics ....................................................................................................................... 17 2.5 Environmental Justice ......................................................................................................... 20 2.6 Nirvana concepts ................................................................................................................. 26 Chapter 3. Research Approach ............................................................................................................. 30 3.1 Introduction: research set-up and choices .......................................................................... 30 3.2 Research focus .................................................................................................................... 31 3.3 Fieldwork setting ................................................................................................................. 32 3.4 Interviewing ........................................................................................................................ 35 3.5 Data analysis ........................................................................................................................ 37 3.6 Positionality & Ethics ........................................................................................................... 38 3.7 Safety ................................................................................................................................... 41 Chapter 4. Environmental justice concerns along Manila Bay ............................................................. 44 4.1 Introduction ........................................................................................................................ 44 4.2 Political-historical context ..................................................................................................

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