THE Department of Environment and Natural Resources (DENR) urges the public to take an active role in the rehabilitation and conservation of mangrove forests by helping validate on the ground the mangrove map created through satellite data.
With over 600 sites and 30,000 validation points across the country as targets, the DENR aims to finalize the field validation of the mangrove map by June.
So far, the project has received less than five percent of the targeted submissions, underscoring the need for urgent action and increased participation by the public.
Citing the need “to measure what we treasure” through the power of citizen science, DENR Secretary Maria Antonia Yulo-Loyzaga called for collaborative efforts and encouraged everyone to take an active role in the mangrove initiative to protect and promote the country’s ecosystems.
“Amid the climate emergency and destruction of mangroves, everyone has the ability to make a difference by tracking and protecting our natural resources,” Loyzaga said.
The National Mangrove Map 2023, a satellite-derived map developed by the DENR and the Philippine Space Agency, was meant to serve as the basis for making informed decisions and developing policies aimed at restoring and protecting Philippine mangroves.
Mangroves face a decline and are continually threatened due to human activities and natural disturbances, DENR raised.
Mangroves are productive salt-tolerant ecosystems that play a critical role in coastal protection, carbon sequestration, biodiversity conservation, poverty alleviation, and food security.
The initiative calls for the private and public sectors, including private individuals and organizations, to visit coastal barangays and verify the presence or absence of mangroves with the easy-to-use ODK Collect app available in the Google Play Store, or they can submit drone images of local mangroves using the same app.