Conducted by VSU
, Started on 2022 -
Completed on 2025
Ongoing
Total Page Views : 27
Total Likes : 15
Like
Freshwater and marine ecosystems harbor a rich diversity of flora, fauna, and other associated organisms
(e.g., microorganisms). They are furthermore valued for their domestic, agricultural, industrial, and recreational
use. However, it is important to keep in mind that such ecosystem services and the economic benefits they provide
can be depleted if not sustainably managed. Thus, to avoid compromising their overall ecosystem health,
monitoring and assessments are necessary.
The effectiveness of resource management relies on a multi-faceted approach in dealing with ecological
and socio-political environments, which requires adaptive decision support tools that are ecosystem-based and
socially relevant (Laumann et al., 2019; Vargas-Nguyen et al., 2020). This project introduces the Ecosystem Health
Scorecard as an important tool for communicating the environmental state and assessing progress toward
management goals (Harwell et al., 1999; O’Brien et al., 2016; Harwell et al., 2019; Laumann et al., 2019; Logan et
al., 2020). Scorecards (or report cards) are responsible for integrating scientific understanding with current socio-
political aspects of the community to encourage environmentally sound decision-making and management actions.
The project also considers the influence of irreversible effects of anthropogenic changes (i.e., urbanization and
tourism pressure), alteration of hydrology and geomorphology (i.e., the establishment of dikes and flood control
systems), and pollution load (i.e., sources of solid waste and sewage waste).
In the Philippines, the first ecosystem health report card (Laguna de Bay Ecosystem Health Report Card,
2013) was designed to provide a better understanding of the current ecosystem health of the lake to develop water
quality improvement strategies. Recognizing the importance of freshwater and marine resources vis-à-vis socio-
economic and political aspects in a fast-developing city such as Baybay, this will be the first ecosystem health
scorecard in Leyte that incorporates transdisciplinary and multi-sectoral collaboration for sustainable resource
conservation, protection, and management. The project covers contiguous ridge-to-reef water bodies from the
largest river system in the city, Pagbanganan River, that drains into the Camotes Sea. Selected ten (10) riverine
barangays and three (3) coastal barangays will be assessed. Briefly, the Pagbanganan River system was divided
into four (4) sampling stations: downstream, midstream, upstream, and pristine (reference site).
Furthermore, the project is envisioned to help the local government contribute to the attainment of UNDP
Sustainable Development Goals: 6 (Clean Water and Sanitation), 13 (Climate Action), 14 (Life Below Water), and
15 (Life on Land) under Ambisyon Natin 2040. The Tropical Ecosystem Health Scorecard will help the local
government, stakeholders, and decision-makers in the formulation of science-based and environmentally-sound
regulatory measures and policies for the sustainable management of aquatic and terrestrial ecosystems and their
associated resources within the city’s jurisdiction.
Lastly, relevant outputs that will be drawn from this project are expected to encourage future research and
development studies. In line with VSU’s goals of sustained excellence in instruction, an innovative RDE (Research,
Development and Extension) system, and competitive science and technology products, this project will pioneer
this transdisciplinary Ecosystem Health Scorecard with at least five (5) papers in ISI-indexed journals that are
expected to be published at the end of the project. In collaboration with foreign partners from the University of
Maryland Center for Environmental Science, United States, and with the Marine Science Institute, University of the
Philippines, Diliman, the project will establish academic cooperation and partnership with scientists and
researchers from national and international universities.