IBM and the World Wide Fund for Nature Germany (WWF) have announced an innovative collaboration to create a new artificial intelligence (AI) solution aimed at improving the conservation of the African forest elephant, a critically endangered species.
This new project will combine IBM’s expertise in sustainability and technology with WWF’s knowledge in wildlife conservation. The solution will use AI-driven visual inspection to optimize tracking of elephants through images captured by hidden cameras. The goal is to accurately identify specific individuals and support conservation efforts, given the importance of these elephants for carbon storage in their forest habitats.
The African forest elephant has seen a drastic reduction in its population, with a decline of over 80% in recent years due to habitat loss and poaching. Given the crucial role of these elephants in carbon sequestration, the developed technology will also seek to assess the financial value of their Nature’s Contributions to People (NCP), such as the carbon capture services they provide.
Technological Innovation and Conservation
The solution will employ IBM’s Maximo Visual Inspection (MVI) software, which will use advanced visual inspection and AI-driven modeling capabilities to analyze images from hidden cameras. This technology will allow for more precise identification of African forest elephants, focusing on distinctive features like the head and tusks, similar to a fingerprint.
Kendra Dekeyrel, IBM’s Vice President of ESG and Assets Management, highlighted that IBM’s technology will play a key role in optimizing the identification and counting process of elephants. “This innovative use of IBM software, combined with WWF’s profound knowledge, can accelerate sustainability efforts and improve conservation accuracy,” she stated.
Furthermore, IBM and WWF will explore the integration of IBM Environmental Intelligence to monitor aerial biomass and vegetation levels in the areas where elephants inhabit. This will enable more accurate predictions of elephants’ future locations and better quantification of the NCP services they provide, facilitating the assessment of generated carbon services.
Valuing Natural Capital
The concept of natural capital, encompassing natural assets like geology, soil, air, water, and wildlife, is fundamental to this collaboration. Forest elephants, for example, can increase the carbon sequestration capacity of the forest by up to 101.1 hectares, equivalent to removing the annual emissions of 2,047 cars, with a potential value of up to $1.75 million per elephant, according to the International Monetary Fund (IMF).
Dr. Thomas Breuer, WWF Germany’s African forest elephant coordinator, emphasized the importance of AI in this context: “The ability to identify elephants through AI and analyze spatial data will allow us to provide more accurate population estimates and better protect wildlife corridors.”
Commitment to Sustainability
The collaboration between IBM and WWF reflects a shared commitment to sustainability and environmental conservation. Both organizations are dedicated to exploring innovative products and services that help businesses leverage natural capital and accelerate their progress in sustainability.
IBM, a global leader in hybrid cloud and artificial intelligence, and WWF, with its vast conservation experience, are joining forces to create an advanced technological solution that will not only contribute to the protection of endangered species but also offer new opportunities to finance conservation efforts through the valuation of natural capital.