The changing migration patterns in the rural areas of developing countries. Study case in the Upper Pulangi watershed (Philippines)

Rural areas of developing countries are continuously facing new constraints that render the achievement of the Millennium Development Goals elusive. The constraints are either environmental or social, but often emerged at the intersection of both of it. Constraints are changing and evolving since changes is an intrinsic characteristic of the social and environmental systems. The novel intensity with which natural resources are extracted, polluted and degraded by modern societies trigger novel type of constraints with which population try to deal with. Migration is one strategy among others chosen by the household in their attempt to maintain or to improve their livelihood. This paper aims to show at a watershed scale the different constraints that have affected the household and their livelihood decision, in particular the migration as a coping strategy. A specific methodology combining in-depth interviews, focus group discussions and satellite image analysis has been elaborated to consider the longitudinal and multi-scale patterns of migrations. Preliminary results concerned the population dynamics that occurred in the watershed after the Second World War. The mapping of land use changes also revealed the major changes that occurred in the watershed while some evidence of emerging new pattern for youth generation were found.