Laguna de Bay sediment group gets more technical studies during their 3rd regular meeting
July 13, 2022
The Laguna de Bay sediment group of the HyDEPP SATREPS project added more technical studies to be incorporated in their efforts during their 3rd monthly meeting held via Webex. The group is now ready to move further into coming up with a final output that will eventually be integrated into the HyDEPP SATREPS project.
Dr. Patricia Ann J. Sanchez (Project Manager and Group 3 Leader), Dr. Aurelio A. Delos Reyes, Jr. (Member), Ms. Catherine B. Gigantone (Member) and Mr. Julius Angelo DJ. Galang (Project Assistant) attended from the Philippine side together with Dr. Eugene Herrera from UP Diliman. Makiko Ohashi (Project Coordinator) from JICA Philippines who is currently in Los Banos, Laguna also attended the meeting. Dr. Kensuke Naito (ICHARM) still initiated the meeting and attended with other ICHARM members Dr. Kentaro Aida, Dr. Qin Menglu, Dr. Naoko Nagumo and Dr. Daisuke Harada and Mai Shimizu from the University of Shiga Prefecture. Presenters for the meeting were Dr. Kensuke Naito and Ms. Catherine Gigantone.
Dr. Naito presented a summary of the useful information and insights that he was able to obtain from the 1999 Laguna Lake Bathymetry study conducted by UP Diliman with the Laguna Lake Development Authority. The report describes the changes in sediment distribution in connection with bathymetry change zone. Other data from LLDA was also already available from the visit conducted by the UPLB Interdisciplinary Studies Center for Water last June 24. This will also be shared among the group.
Ms. Gigantone then discussed a recent preliminary study for a remote sensing methodology for Total Suspended Solids (TSS) determination. Data used were satellite images from the SENTINEL 2. Projections were calculated using two methods: linear prediction and minimum co variance determinant and then compared with actual measurements to validate each model. Other modeling methods as well as other satellites (LANDSAT, TERRA, AQUA, etc) have yet to be further explored in the study.
With all the studies presented (including those from previous meetings), Dr. Herrera initiated the group to start consolidating all the data and information they have towards a common goal. A brainstorming/workshop session is set for this purpose with undergraduate students expected to join and participate in the group activities especially in data collection and processing. Schedule for this is yet to be finalized depending on the availability of the students. At the same time, arrangements for sediment analyses (e.g. facilities, instruments or 3rd party services) are to be explored by Dr. Herrera within UP Diliman and Dr. Sanchez and Dr. Delos Reyes in UP Los Banos.
The next meeting is set on August 18 with the entire team hoping to establish the next phase in Laguna de Bay sediment group activities.