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Baguio City’s Biodiversity Greenprint: A Policy Review on Urban Ecologies for Sustainable Conservation and Innovative Governance | A Forum

The Local Regional Studies Network (LRSN) of UP CIDS and the Cordillera Studies Center, UP Baguio are organizing a forum, “Baguio City’s Biodiversity Greenprint: A Policy Review on Urban Ecologies for Sustainable Conservation and Innovative Governance,” on 11 October 2024, 8:00 am–12:00 nn, via Zoom and the Audio Visual Room, College of Social Sciences, University of the Philippines Baguio. The forum is free and open to the public, but seating is first-come, first-served. Participants are encouraged to register.

CONCEPT NOTE

Baguio City, known for its cool climate and unique biodiversity, has long been a vital ecological zone in Northern Luzon. However, the rapid urbanization and population growth over the last few decades have led to significant challenges to its ecological sustainability. Originally designed for a population of 25,000–30,000, Baguio has surpassed this limit more than twelve times, resulting in strain on its natural resources, degradation of urban ecosystems, and loss of biodiversity. The city’s expansion threatens not only its environment, but also its potential as a model for sustainable urban living.

The Cordillera Administrative Region (CAR), which includes Baguio, is home to several key biodiversity areas (KBAs) that serve as crucial ecological hotspots. Despite this, biodiversity studies in the region are limited, leaving significant gaps in conservation efforts and policy interventions. Without adequate biodiversity data, informed strategies for ecological preservation and sustainable urban development remain difficult to develop.

The “Baguio Biodiversity Greenprint” project seeks to address these issues through a comprehensive policy review and stakeholder engagement to develop a blueprint for sustainable urban ecological governance. This will also serve as UP Baguio’s contribution to the 115th Baguio City Charter Anniversary celebrations.

The forum will consist of keynote speeches, policy presentations, and interactive discussions from key stakeholders: government officials, environmental experts, community leaders, and academic representatives. This will hopefully initiate the conversation on sustainable urban ecologies and ensure a broad range of perspectives in crafting policy recommendations.

The forum aims to:

    • Introduce the Baguio Biodiversity Greenprint project and outline its objectives;
    • Explore the impact of urbanization on Baguio’s biodiversity;
    • Solicit feedback from stakeholders to shape policy recommendations; and
    • Promote collaboration on innovative solutions for balancing urban development with ecological conservation.

RESOURCE SPEAKERS

Attorney Rhenan G. Diwas will be sharing his expertise and plans for the city as the head of the Baguio City Environment and Parks Management Office.

Dr. Zenaida G. Baoanan, professor and UP Scientist of the University of the Philippines Baguio, will also discuss biodiversity conservation, urban planning, and sustainable governance.

ORGANIZERS AND QUERIES

For queries, please email [email protected].

This forum is organized by the Local Regional Studies Network (LRSN) of the Center for Integrative and Development Studies (CIDS), the policy research unit of the University of the Philippines (UP). It is co-sponsored by the Cordillera Studies Center, UP Baguio.

LRSN is one of the Research Programs of UP CIDS, and it currently involves, among others, faculty and staff of UP Baguio. Learn more about UP CIDS and download 1000+ policy papers for free.