Towards sustainable and regenerative territories: ecological restructuring of phosphorus retention and mobilization based on substance flow analysis (sfa) in Quirino Province

Abstract

Phosphorus (P) is an essential and finite nutrient element that cannot be substituted by any other substance. To overcome limited supply of mineral Phosphate rocks (PR) deposits and to contribute to its sustainable management, a better knowledge on P flows is needed. In this study, a Substance Flow Analysis (SFA) for P was conducted for the Quirino Province. Different subsystems were investigated such as forestry, agriculture, anthropogenic consumption, organic wastes, and wastewater management. The researcher found that within the system under study, there is an excess total P inflow into the three (3) major river watersheds system in Quirino Province. The aim of the study was to analyze the flow of Phosphorus that enter, transform, pass through, and leave the territorial subsystems in order to create a knowledge bank that will aid in the transition of Quirino Province from linear to circular metabolism.