Geospatial Analysis of Urban Development and Environmental Changes in Puerto Princesa City, Philippines, from 2014 to 2022

Across the Philippines, rapid urban expansion has led to significant shifts in land use, population distribution, and environmental conditions. While urbanization presents economic opportunities, it also intensifies challenges such as declining green spaces, including increasing urban temperatures and vulnerability to climate-related risks. This study examines the environmental transformation of Puerto Princesa City, Palawan, from 2014 to 2022, analyzing land cover change, population growth, and their broader ecological and social implications. Data analysis revealed that Puerto Princesa City underwent significant land use and land cover changes, with built-up areas nearly doubling from 34.4 km² to 67.7 km², driven by population growth and urban expansion. The transformation of open spaces into built-up zones was most evident in urban peripheries, while rural barangays exhibited varied trends, including expansion, stagnation, and even forest cover increase. The analysis of LST correlations with vegetation and built-up areas revealed a low correlation between LST and NDVI but a moderate to high correlation between LST and NDBI, suggesting that urbanization contributes to increased temperatures. OLS regression indicated strong relationships between environmental parameters and population density, with NDVI decreasing and both NDBI and LST increasing as population density rose. The SUHI effect fluctuated, with an unusual drop in 2016 possibly due to the El Niño-induced vegetation drying, which increased rural temperatures more rapidly than urban ones. By 2022, continued urbanization and land conversion sustained higher SUHI values, underscoring the environmental impact of rapid development.