The Department of Environment and Natural Resources (DENR) is cataloguing the flora and fauna in the National Capital Region’s (NCR) parks and other green spaces to help city planners develop new conservation areas and build climate-resilient urban habitation.
The initiative, led by the agency’s Conservation and Development Division, has partnered with Caloocan City, Pasig City and Las Piñas City to collect scientific data for the City Biodiversity Index, which can later be used to integrate nature conservation into urban planning and climate action strategies.
The DENR-NCR has launched the Urban Biodiversity Site Profiling and Assessment program to identify and catalog species found in city parks and green spaces.
Its researchers surveying 61 sites had documented over 2,500 trees representing 40 species, including native varieties, such as molave, ylang-ylang and antipolo.
The assessment identified local bird species, including the Philippine pied fantail and Philippine hanging parrot, demonstrating that wildlife continued to thrive within the urban environment despite rapid development.
The DENR-NCR underscored the protection of urban biodiversity requiring immediate action rather than future planning and calling for community involvement based on local knowledge and environmental awareness.
The biodiversity profiling extends beyond simple data collection to provide scientific information that could shape effective environmental protection policies.
Metro Manila, home to more than 13 million people, faces ongoing challenges balancing urban development with environmental conservation as the region continues to expand.
