Chinese tech giant Huawei has teamed up with the International Union for Conservation of Nature (IUCN) to launch a three-year marine conservation project on Kenya’s southern coast. The initiative aims to protect the ecological health of the Kisite-Mpunguti Marine Park and Reserve, a biodiversity hotspot in Kwale County.
The project is part of Tech4Nature, a program launched by IUCN in partnership with Huawei in 2021. Other collaborators include the Kenya Wildlife Service and the Wildlife Research and Training Institute. The primary goal is to enhance the monitoring and management of the marine protected area using advanced technology.
Kisite-Mpunguti Marine Park is home to pristine coral reefs and endangered species like green turtles and bottlenose dolphins. Huawei Kenya Media Director Khadija Mohammed Ahmed highlighted the importance of leveraging technology to boost the resilience of marine ecosystems threatened by climate change and human activities. “Innovative thinking and smart solutions are already helping to mitigate some of the world’s most pressing environmental problems,” she said.
The project will deploy underwater cameras, photogrammetry, and audio monitoring technologies to track marine life, including parrotfish populations and seagrass cover. These tools will also monitor the occurrence of endangered species and detect illegal fishing activities by identifying boats and sending real-time alerts to rangers.
According to Huawei, improved network connectivity and digital power solutions at the park will facilitate rapid data transmission to a cloud server for analysis. Innocent Kabenga, the country representative at the IUCN Kenya Country Office, noted that introducing novel technology will enhance conservation efforts and benefit local communities.
Adan Kala, Senior Assistant Director at the Coast Conservation Area of the Kenya Wildlife Service, stated that the targeted deployment of digital tools is key to revolutionizing marine conservation in the country.
Reference(s):
Huawei launches conservation project for marine protection in Kenya
cgtn.com
