New tool measures nature for sustainable resource management

MANILA, Philippines — The Philippines recently took a significant step toward sustainable resource management with the signing of the Philippine Ecosystem and Natural Capital Accounting System (PENCAS) Act. 

The Philippines grapples with a significant dilemma in balancing economic development with the need to preserve the environment and conserve its natural resources, a challenge worsened by the climate crisis. 

To address this, the PENCAS law sets up a monitoring and reporting system that will contribute to the protection, conservation, and restoration of ecosystems and natural resources. 

This critical step is further strengthened by a new toolkit called “Sukat ng Kalikasan” (SnK), co-developed by the Department of Environment and Natural Resources (DENR) and the United States Agency for International Development (USAID)-Sustainable Interventions for Biodiversity, Ocean, and Landscapes (SIBOL).

Neil Aldrin Mallari, an ecologist and president of the Center for Conservation Innovations PH (CCIPH), stressed the need to translate the PENCAS law’s principles into real-world implementation through SnK. 

SnK standardized guide is designed for managing natural resources, and monitoring and addressing threats in protected areas. 

“Sukat ng Kalikasan offers a comprehensive and practical guide for managing natural resources within protected and conserved areas and beyond. PENCAS paints the big picture, valuing nature’s worth, while sukat ng kalikasan equips us on how to measure the values of nature,” Mallari told Philstar.com. CCIPH is an author of the SNK toolkit. 

“Sukat ng Kalikasan,” meaning “measurement of nature” in Filipino, helps natural resource managers in the Philippines to map and value economic services within protected areas. 

Even local government units, local communities, non-governmental organizations and spatial planners can use the SnK toolkit. 

SnK leverages two established frameworks: the High Conservation Value Areas (HCVA) and the National Capital Accounting (NCA). HCVA is the standard national protocol in identifying areas crucial for biodiversity conservation, while NCA measures forests, water and clean air, and the benefits they provide. 

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