A scientist under the Balik Scientist Program (BSP) of the Department of Science and Technology (DOST) has demonstrated the use of geospatial technologies in establishing ecosystem accounts, showing its value in providing data and information for assessing and safeguarding the country’s natural capital.
Dr. Arnan B. Araza, a postdoctoral researcher at Wageningen University and Research (WUR) under the Earth Systems and Global Change Group of the Department of Environmental Sciences, completed the second phase of his engagement under the BSP of DOST.
The BSP initiative provides an avenue for knowledge sharing and the influx of new technologies, encouraging Filipino scientists who had migrated abroad to return to the Philippines and share their expertise, subsequently strengthening the capacity of institutions and academe.
A graduate of the certificate and bachelor’s degree in forestry at the College of Forestry and Natural Resources (CFNR), Araza pursued his master’s and PhD in Geo-information Science and Remote Sensing at WUR.
Reminiscent of Phase I of his BSP stint from December 2023 to January 2024, Araza’s current engagement focused on his contributions to the “Natural Capital Accounting of Coastal and Marine Ecosystems in the West Philippine Sea” Project (RE-INVEST WPS Project 2), which aims to develop a national framework for coastal and marine natural capital accounting.
RE-INVEST WPS Project 2 is a three-year project funded by the DOST-Philippine Council for Agriculture, Aquatic, and Natural Resources Research and Development (DOST-PCAARRD) and implemented by the UPLB Interdisciplinary Studies Center for Integrated Natural Resources and Environment Management (UPLB-INREM). UPLB-INREM served as the host for both phases of Araza’s engagement with BSP.
During the first phase, Araza organized lectures and workshops about climate change and the climate regulation service of forests, mapping blue carbon, methods using artificial intelligence (AI), and uncertainty sources in compiling carbon accounts based on maps. He also presented at several international conferences and worked on several blue carbon research papers.
Phase II of Araza’s BSP engagement kicked off on August 16, 2024, with a workshop on various geospatial tools where participants learned about ArcGIS online dashboards, utilizing crowdsourced data of ecosystem and biodiversity using QGIS and Google Earth Engine to access and process ecosystem extent maps.
In addition, Araza organized lectures on seagrass mapping using drones and bathymetry mapping last August 19 at the A.V. Manza Hall, CFNR.
He led the discussion on bathymetry mapping, considered the mapping of “floors” or “beds” of water bodies such as seas, rivers, and streams. He emphasized the role of bathymetry as an ecosystem condition and a key input to ecosystem services models such as flood regulation in lakes like Laguna de Bay and coastal protection service for mangroves against storm surges before discussing the methods and tools available for bathymetry mapping.
Christian Candido, Science Research Specialist II from the Philippine Space Agency (PhilSA), was the resource speaker for seagrass mapping using drone technology. He discussed the various remote sensing technologies available, the advantages and disadvantages of drones, and drone mapping as implemented in the Comprehensive Assessment and Conservation of Blue Carbon Ecosystems and their Services in the Coral Triangle (BlueCARES) project.
Araza also served as the resource person for the first episode of the lecture series “Usapang Mapa at Kapaligiran: A Discussion Series on Urban Planning, Environmental Management, and Sustainability,” where he talked about forest carbon accounting using remote sensing.
Held last August 22 at the UPOU Audiovisual Room, the event was organized by the University of the Philippines Open University-Faculty of Management and Development Studies (UPOU-FMDS) in partnership with UPLB-INREM. The episode was also live-streamed and may be accessed at the official UPOU-FMDS Facebook page, UPOU Networks website, and the UPOU YouTube channel.
Araza discussed how remote sensing can be used in mapping above-ground biomass (AGB), other forest carbon pools, and their carbon fluxes (emission and sequestration) for carbon accounting. He highlighted the potential uncertainties that could propagate in carbon accounts and underscored the need for independent map validation to address these uncertainties.
The lecture concluded with a report on the current situation of remote sensing-based carbon accounting in the Philippines. Araza talked about the increasing role of open data repositories and online carbon accounting platforms in ensuring rapid but transparent measurement, reporting, and verification of carbon credits.
The series of lectures reinforced the significance of ecosystems, and the available tools and skills needed to monitor and measure ecosystem services. Araza advised students and enthusiasts not to be overwhelmed by advancements in geospatial technologies and AI. He emphasized the value of grasping the basics and understanding the relevance behind each map. Araza concluded the last lecture with the advice to “seize opportunities for career growth, even if it means stepping outside of your comfort zone, as that is when great things start to happen.” (Antoinette Sia and Christian Ray Buendia)