Artificial intelligence has become deeply integrated into daily life, shaping how people interact with technology. While AI is commonly associated with smartphones, websites, and digital innovations, its impact extends far beyond these applications.
AI is emerging as a vital tool in combating deforestation, safeguarding ecosystems, and conserving wildlife. Scientists and environmentalists are not the only ones benefiting from AI; farmers also gain valuable insights that help improve crop yields and resource management.
AMINI, a climate tech startup based in Nairobi, Kenya, is building data infrastructure for Africa and the Global South. Using AI-driven machine learning, the company collects and analyzes data from space, integrating socioeconomic, geospatial, and environmental information to provide actionable insights to insurance companies, businesses, cooperatives, and farmers. By leveraging satellite imagery from NASA and the European Space Agency, AMINI’s tools monitor vegetation and soil health, enabling farmers to make data-driven decisions. These tools also support landscape restoration by identifying optimal locations for rehabilitation projects.
Beyond agriculture, AI plays a critical role in climate change mitigation and adaptation. AI tools assist in species identification, habitat mapping, and biodiversity conservation by analyzing satellite imagery and applying machine learning techniques. While some of these technologies are still in their early stages, their effectiveness in the Global South continues to grow. AI’s ability to process and interpret vast amounts of data makes conservation efforts more efficient and accessible.
However, AI-powered conservation tools have yet to reach their full potential due to limited investment. At the OFAC Hybrid Forum on Central African forests, Damase Khasa, a professor at Université de Laval, stressed the need for robust scientific data, improved data collection, and greater investment in local research and capacity-building to maximize AI’s benefits in conservation.
A key challenge in conservation efforts is the lack of resources for enforcing environmental protection. While many countries have designated vulnerable areas as protected, insufficient funding hampers their ability to patrol and prevent illegal activities. A 2022 study estimated that governments invest only USD 24.3 billion annually in managing existing protected areas—far short of the required USD 67.6 billion. Community and Indigenous lands receive little to no funding, leaving under-resourced communities to shoulder the burden of conservation.
Several AI-driven initiatives aim to address these challenges. SMART, a widely used platform in over 1,000 protected areas worldwide, allows park managers and rangers to input data into a system that enhances conservation efforts. PAWS, an AI-powered machine learning model developed at Harvard University, analyzes historical patrol data to predict where poachers are likely to place traps. By leveraging remote sensing data, PAWS enables rangers to optimize their limited resources and improve wildlife protection.
The UN Food and Agriculture Organization (FAO) has also developed SEPAL (System for Earth Observation Data Access, Processing, and Analysis for Land Monitoring), an open-source platform funded by Norway’s International Climate and Forests Initiative. SEPAL provides real-time data on deforestation and wildlife poaching across 64 countries, enabling faster intervention by reducing the time needed to detect disturbances from months to days.
As AI continues to evolve, its role in environmental conservation will become even more critical. With strategic investments and inclusive implementation, AI can help address some of the world’s most pressing ecological challenges, ensuring a sustainable future for both people and the planet.
