Drone for Forest and Environmental Conservation, What Can They Do?

Drone Technology and Conservation Issues

In the past, drone was identical with cool landscape photos or cinematic videos that we often saw on social media. Now, its function is much greater. Drone has developed into an important tool capable of supporting nature and environmental conservation efforts. With the ability to reach areas that are difficult for humans to access, this technology can provide visual data that is fast, accurate, and cost-effective. According to KLHK, Indonesia has 125.76 million hectares of tropical forest that must be preserved for the sustainability of the global ecosystem.

At Jejakin, drone is used to map conservation areas and monitor land cover changes, so that ecosystem preservation efforts can be carried out more quickly, accurately, and efficiently.

Functions of Drone in Forest Conservation

Drone has various functions in conservation activities, including the following:

1. Deforestation Monitoring
   Drone can provide detailed images of land cover changes in real-time. With high-resolution imagery, conservation teams can identify areas of illegal deforestation or forest fires faster compared to relying only on satellites. According to the World Resources Institute (WRI), forest cover loss in Indonesia is still among the largest in the world. Drone can help accelerate the response to this threat (WRI Report).
2. Vegetation Inventory
   Through multispectral sensors, drone is able to measure vegetation health using methods such as NDVI (Normalized Difference Vegetation Index). This technique makes it easier for researchers to understand the health level of trees in the forest, whether there are signs of degradation and to what extent reforestation has been successfully carried out.
3. Wildlife Monitoring
   Some wildlife species are difficult to observe directly because their habitats are in remote areas. Drone enables aerial observation without disturbing the animals.
4. Forest Fire Mitigation
   Drone with thermal cameras can detect hotspots more quickly, including in fire-prone peatland areas. With this technology, field teams are able to take preventive action before the fire spreads.
5. Ecosystem Mapping
   In conservation, ecosystem maps are the foundation of planning. Drone can produce 3D maps of topography, vegetation distribution, and river flows, which are very useful in planning area rehabilitation.

Things to Consider in the Use of Drone

Although promising, the use of drone for conservation is not free from a number of factors that need to be considered. From a technical side, battery limitations make drone only able to fly for 20–60 minutes, and weather factors such as rain or strong winds can limit operations. Meanwhile, from a regulatory side, flight rules and permits from relevant authorities become an important element so that the use of drone runs safely, legally, and is not misused.

The Future of Drone in Environmental Conservation

In the future, drone technology is predicted to become increasingly sophisticated and integrated with various other systems. Some trends that are starting to appear are as follows:

1. Integration with AI
   Drone data analysis combined with artificial intelligence to detect deforestation patterns, calculate the number of wildlife, or predict fire risks.
2. Combination with IoT
   Drone can function as a tool to transmit data with environmental sensors in the field without having to go to the area. For example, detecting air quality, soil moisture, and carbon levels in certain areas.
3. Tree Planting Drone
   This innovation has been tested in several countries, where drone can shoot seed capsules or spread seeds into areas that are difficult for humans to reach, one example being what was done by AirSeed Technologie in Australia.

Drone, a Technology that Opens Hope

Drone has proven itself to be a relevant technology in supporting forest and environmental conservation. From deforestation monitoring, vegetation inventory, to wildlife protection, all can now be done more efficiently.

However, for the benefits of drone to be truly maximized, adaptive regulatory support, cross-sector collaboration, and the involvement of local communities are needed. Thus, this technology is not only a tool, but also part of a grand strategy to keep our earth sustainable.

As a next step, data management from drone will be much more effective if combined with a digital-based monitoring platform. This is where CarbonAtlas by Jejakin comes in, offering mapping, monitoring, and data-based verification solutions to support sustainability.

With CarbonAtlas, governments, businesses, and communities can make more accurate data-based decisions such as starting from measuring emissions, monitoring carbon sequestration, to reporting the results transparently. Let us use this technology not only to understand the earth, but also to protect it together.

If you want to know how CarbonAtlas can help your organization or business achieve sustainability targets, contact us to discuss and find the best solution with you.