Report by the Tony Blair Institute: “Forests are indispensable global life-support systems: they regulate our climate, purify our air and water, safeguard biodiversity, and sustain the livelihoods of millions. Yet they are vanishing at unprecedented rates. Illegal logging and mining, agricultural expansion, and climate change are degrading ecosystems and biodiversity, threatening rural livelihoods, and undermining climate stability. At the same time, rapid advances in digital technologies, particularly artificial intelligence, are opening new frontiers for conservation. While not a silver bullet, digital solutions can serve as powerful enablers, providing better understanding, faster intelligence and greater effectiveness in forest action.
The Digital Tree framework presented in this report illustrates how components of digital and AI solutions for forestry are interconnected and mutually reinforcing. The roots represent enabling foundations such as connectivity, secure data ecosystems and computing power. The trunk encompasses core technologies that transform the ways in which forest data is captured, including satellites, drones, sensors and robotics. The branches represent analytics powered by AI and machine learning (ML), which convert raw data into actionable insights for a better understanding of current forest conditions, and how to link changes to their drivers, anticipate future risks and optimise operations. The canopy represents myriad real-life applications being developed to enable stronger forest outcomes. Finally, the nutrients represent just and inclusive forest stewardship – embedding the knowledge systems of indigenous peoples and local communities (IPLC), enabling their participation in technology development and data collection, and ensuring benefits flow back to the communities that safeguard forests. This digital ecosystem is self-reinforcing, where improvements in one area strengthen the whole…(More)”
The Digital Tree Structure
