MANILA, Philippines — The Department of Environment and Natural Resources has partnered with the Philippine Space Agency to create a national environment and natural resources geospatial database that will aid the agency in the implementation of government projects.
DENR Secretary Antonia Loyzaga said the partnership with PhilSA will support the development of strategies for “a science-based, risk-informed, ethical and equitable stewardship of the environment.”
“A geospatial platform is fundamental for us in terms of establishing the physical basis of our natural resources, and in terms of our wanting to inventory them for strategic and critical development of our country,” Loyzaga said.
The memorandum of agreement for the collaborative project covers the National Greening Program (NGP) progress monitoring, and the establishment of a comprehensive national geospatial database for the Environment and Natural Resource Accounting program, which includes the collection of climate information and conduct analysis.
PhilSA will develop maps, systems and tools on a national level that analyze vulnerabilities and impacts of climate change and disasters. It will also assist DENR in monitoring NGP areas and other forests using satellite remote sensing, artificial intelligence and geographic information systems.
The DENR, for its part, will provide information needed by PhilSA to generate maps and other field data, and coordinate with relevant bureaus and attached agencies for the implementation of the activities covered in the agreement.
Environment Undersecretary for Integrated Environmental Science Carlos Primo David led the establishment of a geospatial database office.
The joint project will then be integrated into the creation of a national capital accounting system led by the DENR and the National Economic and Development Authority.
“We are trying to build a domestic space ecosystem, and that includes agencies like the DENR that take such space-borne capabilities, and create value out of it,” PhilSA Director General Joel Joseph Marciano Jr. said.