Global Launch Base

International Business Expansion Consultancy Firm

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Floods in Assam: Causes and Potential Solutions

Assam is a place beyond the tea gardens, silk, one-horned rhinos and blue hills. This beautiful Northeastern state of India is also blessed with fertile land by the mighty river Brahmaputra and Barak river. The state has always mesmerized the people through its beauty and resources but what we don’t know is the suffering of the people which they undergo every year due to the impact of the flood. As a mainland citizen of Assam, I have been watching since my childhood “the floods” affecting the lives of people and there is no improvement to the situation. The Brahmaputra and Barak Rivers, which are fed by more than 50 tributaries, cause flood devastation every year during the monsoon season. The vast network of these rivers makes it vulnerable to natural disasters such as flooding and erosion, which has a negative impact on the state's overall development. 

“According to the Rashtriya Barh Ayog (RBA), the state's flood-prone area is 31.05 lakh hectares, compared to the state's total area of 78.523 lakh hectares, or about 39.58 percent of Assam's total land area. This represents about 9.40 percent of the country's total flood-prone area. According to records, floods affect an average of 9.31 million hectares per year. The flood-prone area of the country as a whole is about 10.2 percent of the total area, but Assam's flood-prone area is 39.58 percent of the state's total area. It means that Assam's flood-prone area is four times the national average for flood-prone areas in the country.”

As most people are aware, flooding has direct consequences, such as loss of life, property damage, crop devastation, livestock loss, and deterioration of health due to waterborne infections. Some economic activity may come to a halt as communication linkages and infrastructure such as power plants, highways, and bridges are damaged or interrupted, forcing people to flee their homes and disrupting regular life.

The major drawback comes to the livelihood of people who solely depend on agriculture. The farmers lose the majority of their crops and during these difficult times, farmers require an extra dosage of patience and perseverance. Floods overall decrease agricultural production as well as productivity which hampers economic growth.

The following graphs show how vastly the people of Assam get affected by floods each year from 2015 - 2021 which also destroy the agricultural crops, an income source for many.

Reasons behind Assam floods:

The floods in Assam are mainly caused by the following factors:

The annual rainfall of 2480 mm is received by the Brahmaputra and as well as the 6350 mm in the northeastern hills during the monsoon period, causing the rise in the water level.

The Brahmaputra valley falls under Zone V which is subjected to frequent seismic activities and increases the chances of floods.

The geographical areas of Assam are prone to natural disasters as the areas are surrounded by hills. Thus, the snow melted and rainfall directly flow to the downstream river, causing the river embankments to break down.

The continued deforestation in Assam has resulted in a large amount of topsoil being washed away by rains and the soil reaches the river causing the river water to collect a lot of silt and sediments which raises the river water level.

Another cause is the release of water from uphill dams, which is one of the man-made causes. Every year, uncontrolled water releases flood the Assam plains, displacing thousands of people.

Another major cause of flooding in the state is an encroachment on forest lands and water bodies. 

A large area of forest is being cut down due to urbanisation and wetlands have also been destroyed as a result of this process. These wetlands were connected to the Brahmaputra River and its tributaries, which used to hold excess water during floods and prevent the water from entering residential areas, thus preventing damage.

The embankment breachings are often witnessed which is caused by poor construction strategies, which can be as a result of a lack of embankment maintenance or constructions without proper consideration of the river's nature.

Real insights from Majuli Island (World’s largest river Island):

A local of Majuli Island said, “Every year as the Brahmaputra river rises during the monsoon season, the people outside the embankment always suffer while the people inside remain unaffected. The suffering ones have to take shelter in the high ground and mostly stay in the embankment until the water level reduces. They don’t have proper sanitation and hygiene facilities during this period.”

“Majuli flood situation”. Photo Credits: “NEEDS, Jorhat”

Government and NGOs initiatives steps during flood:

During the Assam floods, the government and non-governmental organisations (NGOs) took steps to save people. When the floods hit Assam, the NDRF (National Disaster Response Force) and SDRF (State Disaster Response Force), as well as the Army, acted quickly to rescue people and conduct other activities. The Central Government and State Governments provide basic commodities and hospital facilities to flood victims. NGOs, on the other hand, provide basic necessities to flood victims.

In 2011, Assam became the first state in the country to issue a satellite-based flood hazard atlas, and it was also the first to update the atlas in 2016. Moreover, the World Meteorological Organization launched the South Asia Flash Flood Guidance System (South Asia FFGS) on October 23, 2020, in response to the yearly monsoon-related disaster. Through forecasts and early warnings of threats associated with flash floods, the system will increase disaster risk reduction and preparedness across Bangladesh, Bhutan, India, Nepal, and Sri Lanka, with the goal of reducing the loss of life and property damage.

THE SOLUTIONS:

Today there are various startups that are helping to reduce and prevent the damaging effects of floodwaters. Thus, let’s look into some who can maybe help in reducing the effect of the Assam flood.

Flood-Con: A startup based in the US developed a control structure that simulates pre-developed hydrology during a real-time storm. The startup uses fixed opening control structures, reservoir routing, and hypothetical storm modelling to replace traditional flood management.

FloodMapp: An Australian company that created DASH which combines big data analytics, automation, and machine learning techniques with novel hydrology and hydraulic models. DASH also ingests LIDAR datasets in real-time to produce hyper-granular flood inundation extents and depth rasters. 

Bufferblock: A Dutch startup, makes its eponymous water management solution for urban stormwater drainage and buffering. Their solution allows for a shallower installation and higher buffering capacities, resulting in a more cost-effective solution and is also capable of withstanding heavy traffic and has a water storage capacity of 266 - 532 litres per square metre.

StormHarvester: A British startup that automates drainage infrastructure monitoring and control. They predict overflows by combining civil infrastructures such as valves, pumps, and floodgates with machine learning-based algorithms. The system then operates the relevant parts of the network automatically to reduce spillages. This solution also allows for better utilisation of the network's available water storage.

AquiPor: A startup based in the US, developed permeable hard surface materials with the strength and durability of concrete. The material functions are similar to those of a hard surface filter, allowing it to sift out harmful pollutants and particulates that can cause problems in stormwater. Furthermore, this material filters stormwater without becoming clogged by dirt or debris. Later, stormwater percolates through the material and subgrade, eventually returning to the ground below naturally. The material can handle up to 25 inches of water per hour, which helps to prevent large-scale runoff.

Tenevia: To reduce the risk of flooding, Tenevia uses image sensors to monitor water levels. Its system uses digital surveillance cameras to monitor water levels, surface speed, and flow along rivers. The cameras are not below the waterline, unlike more traditional monitoring systems such as water gauges. This allows users to track and collect data during flood events when there is little concrete information available at the time when it is most needed.

Eleaf: They provide services and tools that are based on satellite data for agriculture, water management and crop index insurance.

When we look into a wider perspective, at various levels, from smallholder farmers to multinational organisations, several approaches and technologies could be used to mitigate the effects of flood with the help of government initiatives. Along with risk assessment and emergency planning, similar technologies such as flood proofing, wet and dry flood forecasting, and flood insurance, might significantly lessen the impact of floods on smallholder farmers and agriculture. These approaches can bring the development of the state to a greater level and will enhance the country’s economy with full potential.

About Global Launch Base: 

The Indian Agri-Tech industry is expected to grow exponentially to over $30 Billion by 2025. Global Launch Base specializes in bringing high tech innovation for Agri-Tech and Conservation into the Indian Market. 

Our expertise includes working with high tech European Agri-Tech companies and working with the local farmers and actually managing our own farms!. We look forward to helping you navigate the vastly different but vibrant Indian Agricultural markets.

Agri-Tech Innovations

Forest/ Wildlife Conservation

Food Waste Reduction

Written by: Gargi Sarma

Key Contributors: Anubha Chicki and Kiran Gange

[globallaunchbase]

HYDROPOWER DAMS & SUSTAINABLE ALTERNATIVES

We all are well aware of the versatility of the Hydropower dams that benefit the communities in a variety of ways. Hydropower and pumped-storage continue to play an important role in the battle against climate change, providing vital power, storage and flexibility. Though Hydropower does not pollute the air or the water supply, the Hydropower facilities, on the other hand, can have significant environmental consequences by altering the environment and impacting land use, housing and natural ecosystems in the dam region.

A dam and a reservoir are common features of hydroelectric power projects. The graph below shows the distribution of dams in both the hemispheres and how vastly it is threatening the species within its region. These constructions block fish movement and impact the fish populations. The temperature of the water and the flow of the river also gets affected by the operation of a hydroelectric power plant and moreover the native flora and animals in the river and on land get harmed as a result of these changes. 

Figure: Globalscale dams impact on freshwater megafauna 

(Source: Future large hydropower dams impact global freshwater megafauna, Scientific Reports, 2019)

Furthermore, the people's houses, valuable natural regions, agricultural land, and archaeological sites may be covered by reservoirs. As a result, dam construction may necessitate the relocation of people. Methane, a powerful greenhouse gas, may also develop and be released into the atmosphere in some reservoirs.

Now when we come to India, it is the fifth-largest country in terms of installed hydroelectric power capacity in the world. India's installed utility-scale hydroelectric capacity was 46,000 MW as of March 31, 2020, accounting for 12.3% of the country's total utility power production capacity. A total of 4,683 MW (1.3 % of the total utility power generating capacity) of smaller hydroelectric power units have been constructed. At a 60% load factor, India's hydroelectric power potential is projected to be 148,700 MW. In the fiscal year 2019–20, India generated 156 TWh of hydroelectric electricity (excluding small hydro) with an average capacity factor of 38.71%.

The following table shows the basin wise hydroelectric power potential of the Indian river system as suggested by the Central Electricity Authority (CEA).

Examples of environmental issues related to hydropower electricity projects in India:

1. Uttarakhand

The flood and catastrophe vulnerability of Uttarakhand and the Himalayas has risen as a result of the building and operation of dams and hydroelectric projects. The hazards are being multiplied by the growing frequency of heavy and strong rainfall events, glacier melting, glofs and moraine left behind by retreating glaciers, the intrinsic fragility of the mountains, blasting and tunnelling and deforestation.

2. Kerala

According to Reuters, Kerala's two largest reservoirs, Idukki and Idamalayar, have been functioning for years without emergency action plans (EAPs), which are a necessity for major dams throughout the world. The reservoirs also lack "rule curves," a crucial safety guideline that specifies the maximum amount of water that may be safely kept behind a dam at any one time based on seasonal conditions. The banks of the Periyar River, which makes its way to the shore, are dotted with dozens of cities and villages. The path of the river downstream has changed and communities have encroached along its banks over the years since the gates on the gigantic Idukki dam have not been opened for 26 years. As a result, victims and officials had no idea where water levels might increase in the case of a disaster.

3. Northeast India

The Tipaimukh High Dam (THD) on the Manipur-Mizoram border was built to retain floodwaters in the lower Barak valley, but it was later upgraded to include a hydroelectric component. The THD case highlights concerns of relocation and loss of livelihoods, particularly for a large number of indigenous populations, mostly belonging to the Zeliangrong and Hmar peoples. The dilemma is also transboundary since the people of Bangladesh are concerned about probable changes in the flow pattern downstream of the dam following the THD's construction.

Alternatives/ Solutions and the startups encouraging them:

1. Biomass gasifiers: Generates power by burning waste materials from agriculture (such as rice or maize husks).

Agilyx

Frontline BioEnergy

Renew One

Rays Enserv

2. Micro-hydro (100 kW) and pico-hydro (5 kW) systems are small-scale hydroelectric systems that do not require a dam and run on the river's natural flow.

Hace

Turbulent

BladeRunner Energy

Big Moon

3. Solar and wind power

MYSUN

WePower

Oxford PV

RAPTOR Maps

New World Wind

SAPHON Energy

Sea Twirl

Vawt

4. Co-generation is a system that generates electricity, heat, and cool from waste heat and is generally located near a consumer's demands. Low voltage systems can be used to share/sell the surplus to neighbouring consumers.

Naoden

SunOyster

Dandelion

Enviro Power

Conclusion:

When looked at the other factors which imply the disadvantages behind hydropower dams in India include our inability to provide proper forecasts, use available forecasts, and have a functioning disaster management mechanism, as well as our dismal track record in conducting any credible environmental-social impact assessments. Moreover, lack of public consultations, poor appraisals, and a lack of capacity to monitor or achieve compliance.

On the other hand every year, dozens of such dams are decommissioned at a faster rate in developed nations like the US and Europe owing to the deemed hazardous and non-economic problems related to it. However, it is concerning that developing countries like India are not being able to recognise the unsustainable character of these programmes and still new hydropower projects are coming up. It is true that in three monsoon months, Indian Rivers transport more than two-thirds of their yearly flow. We are wasting a vast amount of water that is always flowing and may be transformed to electricity. Thus these questions are also certain to think about: can we afford to waste the majority of water's energy by allowing it to trickle down the drain unutilized during the rainy season? Dams and reservoirs on the other hand are built to endure a hundred years or more and what other form of energy has such a lengthy lifespan? They give us low-cost energy no doubt but it also comes with irreparable damage to major rivers and ecology.

Therefore, for the country's development and prosperity, it is necessary to expand and shift reliance on hydropower. This is important for the long-term water resource development to assure the continued supply of water for hydropower generating and other operations, as well as flood mitigation for downstream residents. Hence, we need to look for sustainable and environmentally-friendly solutions to our increasing demands for water and electricity for various purposes.

About Global Launch Base:

The Indian Agri-Tech industry is expected to grow exponentially to over $30 Billion by 2025. Global Launch Base specializes in bringing high tech innovation for Agri-Tech and Conservation into the Indian Market. 

Our expertise includes working with high tech European Agri-Tech companies and working with the local farmers and actually managing our own farms!. We look forward to helping you navigate the vastly different but vibrant Indian Agricultural markets.

Agri-Tech Innovations

Forest/ Wildlife Conservation

Food Waste Reduction

Written by: Gargi Sarma

Key Contributors: Anubha Chicki and Kiran Gange

[globallaunchbase]

Environmental Impact of Electric Vehicles in the Indian Market

Over the past decade, there has been an increase in the purchasing of electric vehicles. There are many reasons behind this, one might think about making the switch to an EV – electric cars are higher efficient than gas-powered vehicles, can reduce your dependence on fuels and require less maintenance than most cars.

Many people who decide to buy an electric car believe that EVs are one of the most environmentally friendly modes of transportation. Unlike hybrid and gas-powered vehicles, electric vehicles run entirely on electricity. Depending on how their electricity is generated, electric vehicles can run on fully sustainable renewable resources. When assessing the environmental impact of electric cars, four factors need to be considered: tailpipe emissions, well-to-wheel emissions, the energy source that charges the battery, and the car's efficiency.

When an electric vehicle is powered by electricity, it produces no tailpipe (also known as direct) emissions. On that basis alone, EVs are far more environmentally friendly than conventional gasoline-powered vehicles currently on the market.

However, when analysing an electric vehicle's eco-friendliness, the "well-to-wheel" emissions must also be considered. This is an umbrella term for greenhouse gases and air pollutants emitted during the production and distribution of the energy used to power the car. Depending on the resource, the amount of emissions produced by electricity production varies. While "going green" by driving an electric vehicle is a start, if your primary goal in purchasing an electric vehicle is to reduce your greenhouse gas and pollutant emissions, you should also prioritise using zero-emissions electricity wherever possible.

Considering Well-to-Wheel emissions, an all-electric vehicle averages about 4,450 pounds of CO2 emissions annually. For comparison: Traditional gasoline engines emit more than double each year. Well-to-Wheel emissions from electric vehicles vary widely depending on the region and the most commonly used energy sources for electricity. For example, if you live in California,  electricity may come from natural gas. This does not apply when EVs are used and charged in New Hampshire, as the state gets most of its electricity from nuclear power plants.

Natural gas supplies most of the electricity, followed by coal. It emits 50-60% less carbon dioxide than coal and is often considered the "cleanest" fossil fuel. Coal accounts for about 65% of carbon emissions in the electricity sector. That said, even if your electricity comes primarily from a coal-fired power plant, driving an EV will result in lower overall well-to-wheel emissions compared to a traditional car. It could be similar. In most places, the combination of resources used to generate electricity means that driving an EV today will result in lower production.

How to maximise the environmental benefits of your electric car?

Electric vehicles emit less than comparable gasoline vehicles. However, if the goal is zero Well-to-Wheel emissions, not all power supplies will be created the same. If the main reason to buy an electric car is eco-friendly, you should consider driving it with renewable energy sources that you can generate at home (solar, wind, geothermal, etc.).

When buying an electric car, homeowners often consider combining it with a solar array on their roof to charge their car. An average home with 5kW of equipment pays about $ 10,465 for a  solar panel system. Payback periods vary from location to location, but most homes across the country will reduce the cost of investing in solar panels by the seventh year.

Combining equipment with electric vehicles saves even more sunlight and costs even faster in itself. why? Installing solar panels means eliminating what you normally pay for gas and running your car with the free electricity generated by your panels. You can also consider increasing the size of your solar panel system to build the capacity to charge your electric vehicle. The number of additional panels needed to power an electric vehicle depends on the efficiency of the vehicle, the frequency of driving, and the potential for solar energy in the area in which it is installed.

If you cannot generate your own renewable energy for your electric vehicle on your premises, you can consider joining a community solar share or switching your utility to a "green" option that uses renewable energy sources. Community solar is expanding rapidly across the country, and the majority of utilities today also have the option to source electricity, especially from renewable resources.

The efficiency of Electric Cars

 Apart from the resources used to generate electricity, another reason EVs are considered more sustainable than traditional vehicles is that EVs are more efficient. When gasoline in a traditional car burns to power the car, about 17-21% of the energy is converted to electricity in the car. Electric vehicles, on the other hand, can convert 59-62% of the electrical energy into vehicle electricity.

When comparing  EV options to traditional petrol vehicles (or hybrid options), car buyers often rate MPGe, also known as miles/ gallon equivalent (gasoline). EPA calculates MPGe by representing the number of miles a vehicle can travel with the same (or equivalent) amount of energy contained in a gallon of gasoline. The average MPG for a typical petrol car is about 24.7 miles per gallon. It's much more efficient than it used to be, but it's not as efficient as the MPGe EVs on the market today. Currently available electric vehicles can achieve the equivalent "fuel economy" of up to 100 MPGe. This is more than four times more efficient than traditional cars.

Market Size of EV in India  

According to the Ministry of Heavy Industries, Uttar Pradesh, Delhi, and Karnataka have a wide variety of electrical vehicles (EVs) on the road. In India as of January 31, 2022, there had been a total of 9,66,363 EVs in use.

Figure 1

According to Figure 1, Uttar Pradesh had the highest number of electric vehicle sales in India which was followed by Delhi and Bihar respectively.

Government support/ Organization:

The Ministry of Heavy Industries created the Faster Adoption and Manufacturing of Hybrid and Electric Vehicles in India (FAME INDIA) scheme in 2015 to promote the adoption of electric/ hybrid vehicles (xEVs) in the country. 

Currently, phase 2 of the FAME India Scheme is being implemented for a period of five years beginning on April 1, 2019, with budgetary support of Rs 10,000 crores (US$ 1.34). 

This phase aims to support the electrification of public and shared transportation as well as provide subsidies for 7090 e-buses, 500,000 e-4 Wheeler Passenger cars, and 100,000 e-2 Wheelers.

“E-AMRIT”, a government e-portal for EVs.

The Indian Startup Scene 

India's electric vehicle (EV) sector is expected to grow strongly this year, backed by the strong funding received by EV companies in 2020.

Figure 2 

Figure 2 shows EV sales in  2021, with the highest sales of three-wheeled vehicles compared to other models in India.

How is the EV sector doing right now?

The fragmented Indian EV market has many active local players due to its high growth and affordable workforce. Established players in the market are introducing new models, but startups are taking the lead in this market, expanding their presence, raising money from investors and opening up new unexplored cities.

As far as the emergence of new startups, these are the few companies that are currently looking for start in the Indian market:

BePowered: Produce, store and consume electricity at the best moment. Solar inverters, charging stations, battery storage systems, heat pumps etc.

AgeVolt: To accelerate e-mobility adoption, by making EV charging convenient and accessible whilst achieving optimal energy distribution.

Current (aka Meshcraft): Launching a charging network is a complex process. We will handle the technology you need. We're here to help you with everything from setting up your network to branding your app to processing payments.

Echion Technologies:  Supplies high-power Li-ion battery anode materials that enable superfast charging and low Total Cost of Ownership for the most demanding applications.

Enerpoly: Enable sustainable, clean energy on a global scale. Their technology helps battery manufacturers deliver more affordable solutions to renewable energy providers, accelerating the progress to carbon neutrality and net-zero emissions.

Bluedot: Driving electricity yields climate, health, and economic benefits and they are helping to accelerate the transition.

Altigreen Propulsion Labs Pvt. Ltd: Altigreen is an electric vehicle technology and solutions company working for commercial last-mile transportation through 2, 3, and 4 wheeler vehicles.

Ather Energy Pvt. Ltd: Energy specialises in manufacturing 2 wheelers. They currently sell 2 products – Ather 450x and Ather 450 plus.

Bycyshare Technologies Pvt. Ltd. (Zypp): Zypp is India’s leading tech-enabled EV-as-a-Service platform. The startup aims to make India carbon-free by using an ecosystem of Electric Vehicles and EV-based technology to make last-mile logistics sustainable and emission-free.

As a result, the impact of the EV transition in India on the automotive value chain is notably crucial for the automotive components business and jobs in this sector. However, like with any major shift, the route to an electric future is filled with difficulties. However, the ultimate objective of a cleaner, brighter, and greener future must be accepted. Thus, the potential of progress and the capacity to affect things for the better is always exciting.

Global Launch Base helps international startups expand in India. Our services include market research, validation through surveys, developing a network, building partnerships, fundraising and strategy revenue growth.  Get in touch to learn more about us.

Written by: Jagriti Shahi

Key Contributor: Anubha Chicki

[globallaunchbase]

Technological Advancements in Wildlife Conservation

The earth has a wide variety of natural ecosystems, including a wide variety of wild animals and plants. Nevertheless, changes in the global environment such as climate change, deforestation, desertification and land use have a negative impact on flora and fauna. In modern times, the animal world is under serious attack. More than 1210 species of mammals, 1469 species of birds, 2100 species of reptiles and 2385 species of fish have been threatened. Activities such as illegal wildlife trade, the spread of invasive species and diseases, and human impacts on the Earth's climate are changing the nature of wildlife habitats. For this reason, over the last few decades, various conservation strategies, initiatives, and technical solutions have been at the forefront. Two different approaches to conserving wild species are being considered: ex-situ conservation and ex situ conservation. The Biodiversity Convention  (CBD) defines out-of-habitation conservation as "maintenance of ecosystems and natural habitats, and maintenance and restoration of viable populations of species in the natural environment" and out-of-range conservation as "external". It is defined as the "conservation of biodiversity components". Their natural habitat. " The technical solutions available have, in effect, alleviated the difficult task of traditional means of studying animals in natural habitats.

Conservation is finally moving at the pace and scale required to keep up with, and even get ahead of the world's most difficult environmental challenges. Conservationists now have abilities that would have seemed like superpowers just a few years ago thanks to new technologies. We can now monitor entire ecosystems by using remote sensors to map their three-dimensional structures, satellite communications to track elusive animals like the jaguar and puma, and smartphones to report illegal logging.

Figure 1

As per the data from Statista, Figure 1 represents the various primary threats to the wildlife population, which are identified to be heavily caused by exploitation (37%) and habitat degradation change (31%).

These days artificial intelligence is increasingly being used in this area to analyze information collected by conservationists, from camera traps and satellite images to voice recordings. AI can tell which photos contain thousands of rare species. Or find animal barks from hours of field recordings and significantly reduce the manual effort required to collect important protection data. Environmental DNA (eDNA), on the other hand, is used by pioneering conservationists to quickly and easily collect a wealth of biodiversity data by simply scanning water and soil samples. Traces of animal DNA can reveal the presence of previously unobserved species in the area. Some small samples may contain dozens of DNA species, which can provide detailed ecosystem snapshots quickly and efficiently. This data can be used to enhance the protection of your area.

Networked sensors connect online with camera traps, acoustic recorders, tracking devices and other protective hardware to create comprehensive images of animal movements and behaviours, the "eyes and ears" of conservation activists and local communities. Actions that enable monitoring, tracking, and instant information alerts for imminent threats.

"Types of Wildlife Conservation"

Electronic Wildlife Conservation:  Technology and wildlife: two things we don't really relate to. In fact, they have often opposed it throughout history. Human innovation is often caused by or contributes to the destruction of nature but new technologies are increasingly improving research on migration, human-wildlife conflicts, species translocation and reintroduction, and prey-to-prey interactions. This technique can also be used to strategically assess biodiversity hotspots that should limit human intervention. Examples of preservation techniques include some of the more established items and techniques, including:

Camera Trap

Camera Trap: The latest camera traps are digital cameras connected to infrared sensors that can "detect" moving warm objects such as animals. When the animal passes the sensor, the camera is triggered and an image or video is recorded on the memory card for later retrieval. You can leave a camera trap in the field to continuously monitor your habitat for weeks or months and record the rarest events that occur in nature. The development of networked camera traps capable of transmitting near real-time images over the phone or satellite network has provided a new tool in the fight against poaching. New software tools and statistical models make it easy and fast to get high-quality information from thousands of images that camera traps can quickly generate. This provides a better understanding of the human impact on wildlife and enables land managers to make better decisions, both small and large.

Example: Rhions Lab

Acoustic sensors

Acoustic Monitoring: In recent years, the popularity of this technique, known as passive acoustic monitoring (or simply "acoustic monitoring"), has grown very rapidly. This is due to recent technological advances that leverage and often leverage consumer innovations such as smartphones. Hardware is smaller and cheaper, and audio analytics software is much more sophisticated. This means that the cost of portable weathering acoustic sensors for monitoring wildlife is declining rapidly, making it available for a wide range of ecological and conservation studies. At the same time, new developments in machine learning and computer vision have made it possible to automatically extract useful ecological information from hours of recordings. Animals use sound for communication, echolocation, sexual display, and territorial defence. Bioacoustic monitoring records these sounds to infer the distribution, physiological state, frequency, and behaviour of the animal. 

Example: Rtsys 

Drones monitor

Drone monitoring: Various countries have designated special zones in national parks and game reserves where strict laws for prosecuting criminals are in force. However, due to a lack of resources, it is difficult to prosecute illegal activities. National parks often span thousands of square kilometres, making it difficult to effectively monitor all areas. This is where drones and surveillance techniques help human rangers dramatically improve the scope and effectiveness of their surveillance activities without physically placing them in remote locations.

Example: Lorenz Technology

Sharing and collaboration over the cloud: Cloud-based technology helps you quickly scale your technology without having to provision, operate, and maintain expensive physical infrastructure. Cloud technology also enables ubiquitous accessibility, enabling organizations to be geographically separated and share information quickly and easily. Therefore, it will be easier to pool resources and skills to achieve more meaningful results in wildlife conservation efforts. 

Example: Intel

Radar Technology

Radar Technology: Some species of many wings travel thousands of kilometres, making it difficult to track their movement and location. Radar technology (radio detection and ranging) can provide information about mobile flight, such as timing, direction, and even wing-flapping patterns. This allows biologists to better study and monitor some migratory species.

Example: Rohde-Schwarz

PIT Tags

PIT Tags: Passive integrated transponders (PIT tags) help track the movement of various terrestrial, aquatic, and even aerial species. The tag is inserted into the animal and acts like a pet's microchip. For example, CWF used PIT tags to track the movement of American eels. Our researchers were able to track eels at various points in the migration process and determine which eels survived which barriers. CWF is currently working on developing guidelines for PIT tagging of eels and is also working on determining the effectiveness of fishway rehabilitation using PIT tags.

Example: Biomark

GPS and Radio Tracking

GPS and Radio Tracking: GPS tags are too big for some species, so wireless tracking (wireless telemetry)  also makes sense. Wireless tags are smaller than GPS tags and emit radio frequencies. To find the tag, the researcher must move around with the receiver and try to intercept the resulting "ping" from the frequency. For example, CWF uses wireless telemetry to help  track bats.

Example: Telemetry Solutions

Satellites: Satellites can help monitor wildlife and vegetation in nature and provide information about the most remote and inaccessible places on Earth. We can also collect information to help understand why and where biodiversity is declining.

Example: Skyrora

Technology has also brought additional benefits to locals, such as job creation and opportunities to develop new skills.

2. Analytical Wildlife Conservation: Internationally, countries have designated special zones in the form of national parks and wildlife sanctuaries, and strict legislation is in place to prosecute criminals. However, due to a lack of resources, the challenge of tracking illegal activity arises. Especially in natural parks that cover hundreds of square kilometres. Effective monitoring that covers every corner of the space is difficult. Sophisticated technology helps increase its presence in places not available to human rangers through drone-based and other forms of surveillance technology.

GAP Analysis: Gap analysis is a tool used in wildlife conservation to identify gaps in conservation lands (e.g., protected areas and nature reserves) or other wildlands where significant plant and animal species and their habitat or important ecological features occur. Conservation managers or scientists can use it as a basis for providing recommendations to improve the representativeness of nature reserves or the effectiveness of protected areas so that these areas provide the best value for conserving biological diversity. With the information that a gap analysis yields, the boundaries of protected areas may be designed to subsume `gaps' containing significant populations of wildlife species that can enhance the long-term survival of a larger metapopulation of the species already within the managed or protected area, or to include a diversity of wildlife species or ecosystems that merit protection but are inadequately represented in an existing protected area network. Gap assessments can be done using the geographic information system: land maps that delineate topography, biological and geological features (forest cover, plains, rivers, etc.), boundaries, land ownership and use are overlaid with the distribution of wildlife species. How much of the species' distribution fall within or without the conservation lands, or within a highly exploited area etc. can be identified. The simplest gap analysis is to assess how well a protected area system meets the conservation goals set by a country or region to represent its biodiversity. Gap analysis ranges from simple exercises based on spatial comparisons of biodiversity to existing protected areas to complex studies that require detailed data collection and analysis, mapping, and the use of software decision packages. 

Conservation Data Analysis: The Conservation Analysis Unit (CAU) maintains a reliable data set of wildlife, vegetation and habitat, conducts surveys to answer conservation questions, and uses this information with various stakeholders in nature conservation. We develop and maintain a variety of tools to inform decision-making with our support. 

Knowledge and understanding of priority protected areas through data acquisition and research programs focused on landscape-level spatial analysis. This includes editing and integrating habitat compatibility models, species abundance and distribution models, climate vulnerability assessments, habitat connectivity models, and other landscape datasets.

Wildlife Conservation Startups:

1. Wildlife Drones: Australian startup developing wildlife tracking and monitoring drone solutions The Wildlife Drones system detects tagged animals and displays the information on a map, according to the startup. Furthermore, this allows researchers to observe the whereabouts of animals from a safe distance without

2. Internet of Elephants: Kenyan startup Internet of Elephants develops solutions for public engagement in wildlife conservation through storytelling Wildeverse, the startup's augmented reality mobile game, is intended to bring people closer to wildlife. In addition, the company creates fitness apps that use real-world conservation data to match people's strengths with wild animals. The startup's goal is to elevate wildlife conservation from a distant problem to a common topic of conversation, thereby strengthening conservationist ideas among the general public.

3. Wimbitek: Spanish startup developing global positioning system (GPS) tracking devices based on the Internet of Things SigFox. The bird monitoring devices developed by the startup include a solar-powered panel that supplements the original battery power. Furthermore, conservationists can view, analyse, and download bird tracking data via Wimbitek's web platform. The startup offers ornithologists an effective and dependable tracking solution.

4. Salus Resources: US-based startup Salus Resources offers environmental impact analytics, as well as habitat and species conservation solutions for businesses, state and federal organizations, and nonprofits. Startups provide tool development and modelling solutions for conservation purposes. In addition, Salus Resources' services enable safe operation without affecting wildlife.

5. WonderGene: Italian startup that develops a portable genetics laboratory for nature maintenance research. This solution enables a variety of gene analysis techniques, from DNA extraction to DNA quantification. In addition, the startup allows genetic analysis to be performed directly in the field, saving transportation time and accelerating conservation activities.

Conclusion

Modern technology offers humanity the opportunity to change conservation games. Develop the tools needed to make a difference in modern conservation efforts with cameras and drones that monitor the natural environment, analytics that process information and notify policies and cloud technology that breaks down physical and geographic barriers.

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Written By: Jagriti Shahi Key Contributors: Anubha Chicki and Kiran Gange