NATURE-BASED SOLUTIONS: ASSESSING URBAN GREENSPACE AVAILABILITY IN ILIGAN CITY, PHILIPPINES

Abstract

The continuous growth of urban areas, driven by population increase and commercial expansion, has led to urban problems like heat islands, pollution, and environmental damage. Greenspaces, defined as ‘green’ areas within cities that offer various advantages for human welfare and environmental quality, have become a vital strategy for addressing these significant urban issues. However, despite their clear advantages, the growth of greenspaces, particularly in the Philippines, is hindered by rapid urbanisation and an overemphasis on built infrastructure. Although extensive research exists on formal urban greenspaces, studies on informal greenspaces, especially within the Philippine context, have been limited. This study defines formal urban greenspaces as officially managed areas, such as parks, and informal urban greenspaces as unmanaged areas, like vacant lots or riverbanks. Surveys were conducted with 187 stakeholders from various sectors in Iligan City to identify their preferred nature-based solutions (NBS) and intervention types. GIS mapping was performed using quickOSM and Google Satellite through QGIS software version 3.4 to gather data on existing urban greenspaces per capita in Iligan City. The collected data were analysed using descriptive and frequency statistics. The findings indicated that mangrove restoration (62%) and urban tree planting (55%) were the most preferred interventions. GIS results showed that 72% of urban barangays failed to meet the WHO’s minimum greenspace standard of 9 m2 per capita, with an average of 5.7 m2 (SD = 2.3). The study recommends that future initiatives should concentrate on developing and expanding formal urban green spaces in the city’s urban barangays by incorporating informal greenspaces into urban planning and improving greenspace management.