Selecting Safe Zone for Threatened Species Conservation: a Case Study of a Watershed in the Southern Philippines

The Philippine Department of Environment and Natural Resources has protocols for identifying landscapes for conservation but lacks clear guidelines for mapping areas of interest. To augment the procedure, we explored using Multi-Criteria Overlay Raster Analysis that scores the best available data from a watershed to identify potential Critical Habitat or Protected Areas. The algorithm deducts potential areas for wildlife habitation from areas that contribute to conservation conflicts, resulting in a potential 'safe zone' for conservation. The framework is applied to a case study in a watershed in the southern Philippines and produces a gradient score to determine the most suitable to least suitable areas for conservation. By using the best available data and local perspectives, the synthesized methodological framework was found to be useful in the decision-making process.