The Investment in AFMP Planning at the Local and National Levels (IPLAN) Component and the Geomapping and Governance Unit of the DA-PRDP Ilocos Region launched the GeoSmart Application during the Training on Climate Risk Vulnerability Assessment (CRVA) for PPMIUs cum Production of CRV Maps of PRDP Champion Commodities with Provinces of Pangasinan and Ilocos Norte at The Monarch Hotel, Calasiao, Pangasinan on May 20-21, 2021.
The GeoSmart App is developed by the GGU of the Philippine Rural Development Project (PRDP) in partnership with the I-PLAN Component to aid the planning of government interventions through a self-help application which factors in the socio-economic and climate risk vulnerability, and suitability of the project site.
In comparison to the Expanded Vulnerability and Suitability Assessment (eVSA), the GeoSmart Application has incorporated data from the Climate Resilient Adaptation Office (CRAO) to the available data from Bureau of Soils and Water Management (BSWM), Department of Agriculture (DA) and Philippine Statistics Authority (PSA). The additional CRVA parameters which include sensitivity, exposure, and adaptive capacity are targeted to guide the planning of interventions to produce modern, sustainable, and climate-smart projects.
The interface of the application is simple and easy to navigate. It has three (3) primary links namely Manage Data, Analyze Data, and Data Repository. Data parameters available in the application are human capital, landslide, climate sensitivity, natural capital, physical capital, poverty incidence, salt water intrusion, sea level rise, storm surge, tropical cyclone, anticipatory capital, drought, economic capital, erosion, flood, and agro edaphic suitability. Investors may adjust the weight percentage of parameters which they want to prioritize for a project.
The GeoSmart Application is free, accessible to everyone and can be downloaded at https://www.pcipplannersportal.tk/. It was developed by Mr. Leomark Baldoz of the GGU national office and was first rolled out during the training. Participants who first accessed the GeoSmart application are planning officers and agriculturists from select municipalities of Pangasinan, Provincial Government of Pangasinan, and Provincial Government of Ilocos Norte.
Mr. Deo G. Rivera, GGU Head of Ilocos Region, led the training in using the application with inputs from I-PLAN Component Head, Ms. Doris Joy Garcia. In the coming months, the GeoSmart application is expected to emerge as among the best practices of the PRDP to be adopted by investors, government and private sectors alike.
The training in using the GeoSmart application was supplemented with lectures on CRVA Approach and CRVA Investment Planning by Mr. Leo Kris Palao, Climate Action Coordinator for Philippines, Data Science for Climate Action Coordinator for Asia and Training on Conducting Virtual Trainings by Mr. Ali Barcelonia of GGU Region 1 for full appreciation.
#DAPRDP #EnablingCommunitiesExpandingOpportunities #ruraldevelopment
