Exploring the Role of Social Capital in the Conduct of Initial Site Assessments of Polluted Sites in the Philippines

Background. A number of studies have shown how enhanced social capital can improve environmental outcomes through decreased transaction costs, increased knowledge and information flow, and improved monitoring and enforcement. Objectives. Social capital plays an important role in reducing adversarial perceptions of initial site assessments of toxic hotspots. It also mobilizes stakeholders to work together to come up with a holistic and comprehensive site assessment. This paper explains the role of social capital in the conduct of the Blacksmith Institute’s Global Inventory Project site assessment protocol in the Philippines. Methods. The study describes and analyzes the role of social capital in the conduct of the initial site assessment based on the actual experiences and observations of the authors and a review of discourse that took place during regular meetings of the Blacksmith Institute’s local investigative team. Results. As of June 2011, 105 polluted sites have been identified in the Philippines. Information on the location and background of these sites came from a variety of sources, including government, environmental NGOs, academic institutions, community groups and industry associations. Seventy percent of used lead-acid battery recycling sites assessed were referred by the industry. More than 40% of artisanal and gold-mining sites were referred by regional government and local contacts. Conclusions. Social capital has played an important role in the conduct of the Blacksmith Institute’s initial site assessment protocol. Relationships and networks within the group and among different organizations build and expand the social capital of the team and facilitate the site assessment process by making it easier to coordinate with local authorities and gain better access to research, data and key persons. It also encourages local stakeholders to take ownership of assessment findings, sometimes leading to the mobilization of various community sectors in reviewing and planning interventions to address specific health and pollution issues. Financial Disclosure. None reported