It is the analysis that produces a map with the gradient of vulnerability to the potential impacts of mining tailings dam collapses for environmental risk management. It is the product of cross-referencing information on the impact of potential environmental degradation resulting from the collapse of mining dams and the sensitivity of biodiversity.

Process that defines the most suitable areas for offsetting environmental impacts based on analyses of the similarity of the composition of biodiversity and geodiversity sensitive to mining. This map assumes that the best place to invest efforts to offset the impacts of a mining activity will be those that share the largest number of conservation targets affected by the project. To this end, a spatially explicit hierarchical cluster analysis was performed, which indicates a gradient of similarity between impacted and protected areas, grouped into groups and clusters for offsetting.

The Compatibility Map between Biodiversity and Speleological Heritage Conservation and Mining Activities is represented as a bivariate map, resulting from the spatial overlay of two key components: the Biodiversity Sensitivity Map and the Mining Impact Exposure Map. This integrated approach allows for the identification of areas where conservation priorities and mining pressures intersect, providing a spatial framework to support more informed land-use planning.

In this context, the higher the compatibility of a given area, the lower the associated environmental cost. Such areas are likely to involve less complex environmental licensing processes and require fewer efforts to mitigate biodiversity loss. Conversely, areas of low compatibility indicate a greater potential for conflict between conservation and mining activities.

Impact reduction is primarily achieved by prioritizing the avoidance of low-compatibility zones. Where avoidance is not feasible, specific mitigation and/or compensation measures—tailored to the conservation targets present—must be adopted to ensure the persistence of biodiversity within impacted areas.

This approach demonstrates that it is possible to reconcile biodiversity and geodiversity conservation with mineral extraction through science-based, spatially explicit planning tools that support sustainable development.

Modern Zoological gardens and aquariums worldwide provide unique opportunities by contributing expertise in animal care, species conservation, and public education, forming a strong foundation for modern conservation and scientific research. By working closely with these institutions and utilizing the data and insights they generate, the GAIA Initiative aims at bridging the gap between in-situ and ex-situ conservation efforts. Animals under human care can serve as valuable models for understanding species’ biology, behaviour, and responses to environmental changes. Furthermore, the controlled conditions of zoological gardens allow for the development and testing of advanced technologies, such as animal-borne sensors and AI systems, under more predictable and accessible settings before deployment in the wild.

Key focus areas of this building block include:

• Generating reference and training data for the development of the AI pipeline for the sensor data. By deploying the tags on vultures in captivity in a large aviary and recoding their behaviour simultaneously, we were able to create a paired dataset for the training of the AI.  With the trained AI there is no more need to observe the animals to detect relevant behaviour, e.g. feeding; the AI can very reliably predict behaviour from the sensor data giving us insights in the behaviour of the target animals throughout their life.
• Education and public engagement: Zoo Berlin integrates GAIA’s findings into its educational programs and collaborates in media relations and public outreach, fostering public awareness and participation in biodiversity conservation and technological innovations. Visitors are introduced to cutting-edge tools and their impact on wildlife conservation.

Having minimal and only strictly necessary impact on individual animals is a key goal of the GAIA Initiative. For both lions and vultures, there were extensive testing procedures conducted (within the German system of Animal Testing and Animal Welfare) in Berlin Zoo and Berlin Tierpark. Techniques were developed and tested by veterinary experts for both zoo animals and wildlife and are considered safe and compatible with strict animal welfare considerations. Additionally, both within GAIA and by other research groups there is long-term experience and data on the effects of tagging and collaring of the respective species. It has been proven, for example, that tagging vultures does not have any detrimental effects on the birds’ well-being, health or reproduction. Vulture were found to live many years with tags, to have similar movement and foraging behavior, and to have offspring.

The partnership of GAIA with the Zoo Berlin also emphasises the communication and knowledge transfer objectives of the Initiative in the sense of the GBF target 21 "Ensure that Knowledge is Available and Accessible to Guide Biodiversity Action". This field of activitey not only targets the wider public for raising awareness for biodiversity conservation and technological innovations, but also aims at political decision makers on national and international levels. GAIA has been very active in consulting with political stakeholders in Germany and Namibia for example as well as participating in the IUCN Regional Conservation Forum 2024 in Bruges, Belgium.

For ecological research as well as for GAIA use cases, it is necessary to reliably and accurately recognise the behaviour of different animal species over a long period of time in remote wilderness regions. To do this, GAIA scientists have developed and trained an artificial intelligence (AI) that can perform behavioural classification from GPS and acceleration data and tell us exactly what, for example, white-backed vultures fitted with animal tags are doing at any given time and place. This AI will eventually run directly on the GAIA animal tags and generate behavioural information from sensor data. In a second step, the scientists combined the behaviour thus classified with the GPS data from the tags. Using algorithms for spatial clustering, they identified locations where certain behaviours occurred more frequently. In this way, they obtained spatially and temporally finely resolved locations where vultures fed. Last but not least, GAIA is developing an AI for image recognition that will analyse photos taken by the integrated camera of the new tag system. All those algorithms will run directly on the tag and can perform efficient embedded data processing. This also places very special demands on image recognition AI, which must operate particularly sparingly and with small amounts of data. To this end, GAIA teams are developing appropriate strategies and models for sparse AI.

This novel carcass detection pipeline is a key asset in halting species extinction and managing human-wildlife conflicts and therefore aligns with GBF target 4. The pipeline allows for the swift detection of either vultures' death or the death of the animal that the vultures are feeding on. Both scenarious are relevant to halting species extinction: Poisoning at carcasses contributes significantly to the decline in populations of many vulture species. As vultures use social strategies in their search for food, one poisoned carcass can kill hundreds of birds. Scientists from the GAIA Initiative have shown that tagging vultures allows for an early detection of deaths and the carcass to be removed. Tagging vultures and using the AI pipelines described here can substantially reduce further mortalities. Secondly, early detection of poaching incidents of threatened species can put a local full stop to poaching and contribute significantly to combating extinction.

Satellites and aircrafts play a crucial role in gathering environmental data from the distance, helping us to better understand our climate and ecosystems. Remote sensing, often conducted from aircraft, balloons, or satellites, allows us to monitor large areas and remote regions over extended periods. These “eyes in the sky” are invaluable complements to land-based observations, helping us understand ocean and air currents, land cover changes, and climate change. However, animals also possess extraordinary senses and a unique ability to detect changes in their habitats. By combining animal capabilities with remote sensing technologies, GAIA aims at enhancing our ability to monitor and understand our planet. Animals have superior sensory abilities and behavioural strategies that enable them to sense subtle and dramatic changes in their ecosystems, as well as to detect critical incidents. Vultures, for example, act as “sentinel species” and can elevate the concept of remote sensing to new heights. They regularly patrol vast areas in search of food, operating without emissions, additional resources, or repairs. Furthermore, their patrols are guided by their exceptional vision and the mission to find carcasses. The way they patrol, what they search for, and the incidents they lead us to may be linked to specific environmental changes and ecological events.

To fully exploit the potential of vulture-borne remote sensing, GAIA focuses on two essential aspects. Firstly, powerful tracking devices are attached to vultures to monitor their movements and behaviour on detailed temporal and spatial scales. Secondly, new technological solutions are being developed to better understand what the animals observe and do. This includes a newly developed camera tag featuring an integrated camera, artificial intelligence algorithms for behaviour detection and image recognition, and satellite uplink for real-time coverage in remote regions. With these tools, animals can capture imagery and provide data of their surroundings faster, with higher resolution and specificity than satellite imagery. This innovative approach allows us to see nature through the eyes of animals.

GAIA has adopted a minimum waste strategy: Only technical equipment that is absolutely essential is used and developed. Collars and tags either remain for long periods of time (e.g. vultures) or are collected routinely (e.g. lions) to extract data. No transmitters remain in the landscape: If a transmitter drops of or the animal carrying the tag dies, it is located and removed from the landscape. This way, the GAIA system is a “leave no trace” system with significant benefits for the ecosystems.

Corruption in the forestry sector continues to undermine the rights & livelihoods of local & Indigenous communities. By institutionalising the use of ForestLink, we empower local communities beyond enforcement - the system has proven critical in tackling this corruption, enabling communities to document land rights violations & illegal activities, defend their territories & secure access to justice, whilst securing sustainable economic opportunities linked to forest resources.  

 Crucially, ForestLink supports sustainable economic activities & lays the groundwork for payment for environmental services by reinforcing community autonomy & stewardship of natural resources. Through partnerships with local organisations skilled in legal advocacy & sustainable enterprise, communities are supported to develop livelihoods aligned with forest protection. Key enabling factors include understanding current economic practices, ensuring financial support for legal actions & engaging in parallel advocacy to secure land rights.  

By actively managing and defending their lands, communities reinforce their autonomy & contribute to long-term, locally driven development. The data collected through the tool also plays a crucial role in supporting access to justice - providing evidence for legal & non-legal actions when communities face human rights abuses or environmental crimes.  

Using a digital tool to collect & analyse data is innovative, but real impact comes from applying that data to support advocacy & law enforcement for the protection of forests & local communities & Indigenous peoples’ rights. To this end, strong local, national & international advocacy networks are needed to take action against reported abuses & to achieve legal & policy changes. By enabling information to be shared between users & opening up data to the general public when consent has been given, the tool facilitates collaborative working for greater impact.  

This digital tool's efficiency relies on the fact that it is accessible from remote areas & easy to use for local & Indigenous communities. 

It allows grassroots data to be gathered to feed national and global advocacy. Its adaptability also lies in the fact that it can be used to monitor a variety of issues (illegal logging - artisanal or industrial, mining, carbon market projects' impact, GBV, etc.), in a variety of contexts.   

The evidence is building that granting Indigenous peoples & other local communities' control over their territories improves forest protection, as they are directly invested in the survival of forests & want to ensure that future generations can continue to live & thrive in them. Yet a lot of development, environmental & climate-related programs are not created in collaboration with the people who will be impacted by them. Therefore, our solution arose from the challenges that grassroots organisations & Indigenous & local communities brought to our attention. Those communities are the ones living all the forests illegalities & land tenure violations. By directly tackling their challenge it ensures the solution to be genuine & efficient. Working with them directly helps us to better understand the contexts they are facing & adapt the tool in consequence.