MODERN TECHNOLOGY FOR SUSTAINABLE FOREST MANAGEMENT
Modern economists highlight the catalytic significance of technical advances in a country’s growth, particularly for emerging countries like India, which is behind the curve in producing such technologies. The Internet of Things is the most recent technological advancement that has gotten a lot of attention in Indian marketplaces. Forest management is a sector that significantly benefits from these technological advancements.
An intelligent and interoperable network of devices networked through a dynamic, global infrastructure network may be established based on the Internet of Things idea to connect and exchange data across places at any time. These technology-driven smart sensors (“green bots”) have the potential to help India’s forests while also giving data that can help with more sustainable forest management. These intelligent sensors can use predictive analytics to aid in sustainable forest management and conservation techniques by utilising soil and weather conditions data.
A start-up called Treevia from Brazil has developed a remote forest monitoring system called Smart Forest. Treevia has created wireless electronic sensors to track the growth of Brazil’s forests in real-time. These sensors gather data, which is subsequently analysed and utilised to guide policies. Digital asset registration systems, forest research employing high-precision data, risk assessment, and specialised forestry consultancy are among SmartForest’s offerings. The preliminary analysis shows that this type of data collection is more successful than traditional data collection methods and has the potential to address the critical challenges of forest management in India.
As the Indian market for high-value trees expands, establishing a strict regulatory framework to ensure its long-term viability has become a priority for India to accomplish its national forest-cover targets on both an economic and ecological level. Smart sensors can detect any disturbance in forest regions that might suggest logging activities; the activity generates a signal on the green bot, which is then relayed to the cloud, allowing authorities to take necessary action and aids in the identification and prevention of illicit logging in real-time.
Each sensor may be configured to detect events that occur inside a particular grid. Parameters such as daily relative humidity, daily temperature, and forest-cover density can be analysed to detect these occurrences in the woods. The collected data is then analysed over time. The information may also be used to have a better understanding of the evolution of forest dynamics. Green bots may also give a comprehensive inventory of sacred groves and landscapes throughout all biogeographic zones, together with information on the biological, ecological, and societal values connected with them. This can be a strategic instrument for implementing site-specific conservation and restoration programmes with the help of residents or grove guardians.
The employment of intelligent sensors as a tool in forest management might be a game-changer in monitoring forest activity and assuring resource sustainability. Green bots can gather data and inform policymakers for activities like poaching and illicit logging that are difficult to detect using remote sensing. They can also promote openness and accountability in this way. Green bots can help monitor tree health and growth, assist in the protection and preservation of forests, flora, and fauna, give information that can aid in the prevention of forest fires and other disasters, and develop databases that can help in quick regeneration.
Green bots can also increase green cover outside of forests if they start producing results, as the country’s present forest cover cannot satisfy the country’s current carbon sequestration objectives.
Green bots’ data can also be used to construct a real-time forest inventory, which can subsequently inform all afforestation efforts in the country. Internal hazards to Indian forests are distinct, and green bots can help map them out. The green bots may also be designed to inform officials about man-animal confrontations in the forests by establishing a more robust process.
Another possible role of the green bot is to protect farm produce near or within the woods from animals. This will assist India in meeting and measuring national and international goals, such as the INDCs, as well as ensuring sustainable natural resource management.
Green bots can play a critical role in the development of well-informed local and national policy and planning. Developing countries confront several obstacles in getting and utilising basic forest information. As a result, data on daily forest area, burnt area assessment, and forest encroachment monitoring can help people in charge of forest and natural resource management be more responsive and make better decisions. While remote sensing can map overall forest cover and deforestation regions, green bots have been demonstrated to produce better results. Finally, green bots can promote forest connectivity, boost biodiversity, and extend habitats for indigenous species by identifying crucial sites for afforestation and supporting afforestation efforts.
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