One of the main objectives of CVPED has been the institutional development of the Isabela State University and Leiden University through the strengthening of research and education capacities. PhD research forms the most important component of this.

The PhD research of CVPED is structured around two research themes:

(1) Dynamics of land-use change: frontiers and transitions

This research programme aims at a long-term understanding of the dynamics of natural resource depletion and resource rehabilitation, and at the policy solutions that may be based on this understanding. In 2001 five PhD researchers are working in CVPED on topics related to land-use transitions.

(2) Co-management of natural resources: visions and institutions

Co-management, i.e. the sharing of responsibilities between local people and government, is widely seen as the key solution to local management problems, especially those concerning natural resources with a high supra-local value, such as biodiversity, primary forests and fish stocks. This research programme aims to develop theory to accommodate the empirical lessons from the field.

The Philippines gained international recognition as one of the most progressive countries in adopting co-management strategies. The Cagayan Valley can be seen as an experimental area where different approaches and strategies are tested in the field. There is a growing need to document these try-outs. In the coming years CVPED will play a central role in the scientific analysis of co-management approaches in Region 02.