Affiliations: Institute for Governance and Rural Development, College of Public Affairs and Development, University of the Philippines, Los Banos College, Laguna, Philippines
Abstract: Anchored on the scarcity of small lake studies in the country, the article explores the little-known small lake of Dolores, Quezon, Philippines—Gunao Lake; its existence virtually unheard of in scholarly literature. Specifically, the study documents the crater lake by delineating the status of the lake using seven basic governance and development parameters. Using data from interviews, site observations, and few existing documents on the lake, the study contends that Gunao Lake is deficient in key management and conservation enablers: the absence of a management council and a Master Development Plan, and the failure to institutionalise tourism, and maintenance activities. Moreover, in placing Gunao Lake on the literature map, this study makes a small step in expanding the governance and development studies on small lakes in the country.
Keywords: Development, governance, Gunao Lake, Dolores, Lake, Philippines
