INTEGRATING GEOGRAPHIC INFORMATION SYSTEM (GIS) IN MANGROVE FOREST CHANGE IN PANABO CITY, DAVAO DEL NORTE

This paper will explore the application of GIS technology in the assessment and monitoring of mangrove forestchanges in Panabo City, Davao del Norte, Philippines. Mangrove ecosystems are usually recognized as vitalresources that coastal protect, conserve biodiversity, and mitigate climate. Unfortunately, these ecosystems aredrastically endangered because of the high rate of urbanization, shifting land use patterns, and environmentaldegradation. This study utilizes GIS-based methodologies for analyzing changes in the coverage of mangroveforests across both the temporal and spatial scales of the past two decades. Loss, restoration, and fragmentationsof mangroves will be studied through satellite imagery, remote sensing data, and field surveys. The results willbe derived from severely degraded mangrove areas and evaluations for the efficacy of conservation. Applicationof GIS in management of mangrove forests opens the door to a better-aided understanding of ecological trendsfor well-informed data-driven decision-making toward the more sustainable conservation of mangrove forests inPanabo City. It also implies that it could serve as a model tool for environmental monitoring in conditionsreplicating those other coastal areas commonly experience with similar ecological threats.