Advanced Image Recognition Algorithms for Jaguar Monitoring

This building block is centered on the use of Convolutional Neural Networks (CNNs), including Siamese and Autoencoder architectures, to detect and identify individual jaguars based on unique features such as rosette patterns and morphology. These algorithms process camera-trap data efficiently, reducing the time required for analysis and providing critical insights for decision-making in conservation.

The purpose of this building block is to enhance the monitoring and understanding of jaguar populations by automating the identification process. The algorithms detect jaguars in camera-trap images and classify individuals, contributing to understanding population size, distribution patterns, and behaviors. This facilitates conservation planning and policy-making by decision-makers. Additionally, the models are scalable and can be adapted to other species and ecosystems, expanding their applicability beyond the Yucatán Peninsula.

Enabling factors:

  • Availability of high-quality camera-trap data for training and validating the algorithms.
  • Technical expertise in AI and machine learning for developing and fine-tuning models.
  • Collaborative partnerships with local institutions for field data collection and algorithm design, development and testing.
  • Access to sufficient computational resources to train and deploy the algorithms effectively.
  • High-quality and diverse datasets are critical for achieving accurate and reliable results.
  • Community and academic involvement, such as the participation of the Dzilam de Bravo community and the Universidad Politécninca de Yucatán, enhances project outcomes by ensuring local capacity and ownership, and technological expertise to design the necessary algorithms.
  • Explainability in AI models (e.g., through Gradient Cam) is essential to build trust and ensure the results are accessible to decision-makers.
Enhancing Safe Fishing Practices

FFMA delivers real-time weather forecasts, disaster alerts, and ocean state information in regional languages, ensuring accessibility for diverse fishing communities across India.

Embedding Fisher Friend within the Fish for All Centre Programme:
MSSRF integrated Fisher Friend into its Fish for All Centre Programme, focusing on sustainable fisheries development. This alignment leveraged existing resources, expertise, and networks, providing a strong foundation for promoting Fisher Friend.

Engagement with INCOIS:
Collaborating with the Indian National Centre for Ocean Information Services (INCOIS), MSSRF ensured the provision of critical oceanographic data and advisories. This partnership enhanced the app’s accuracy and relevance for fishers.

Engagement with Departments of Fisheries and the Indian Coast Guard:
MSSRF worked closely with government departments to align Fisher Friend’s services with government priorities. These partnerships also facilitated policy advocacy and integration with existing fisheries initiatives.

Partnership with Fisher Associations and Local NGOs:
By partnering with fisher associations and local NGOs, MSSRF leveraged local networks and expertise, promoting Fisher Friend through trusted channels and building credibility among fishers.

Geospatial Planning and Risk Mapping

Dynamic risk maps, built using GIS and geospatial analysis, identify high-risk areas and guide resource allocation. This tool can be used for urban planning, disaster risk reduction, or managing natural resources like water or land.

  • Regularly refreshed data on terrain, vegetation, and weather is crucial for accuracy.
  • Trained personnel must operate geospatial tools and interpret risk maps.
  • Risk maps should inform planning and resource allocation at local and regional levels.
  • The expertise is crucial to help you build the correct framework in order to be scalable.
Data Sources

The system combines data from drones, satellites, camera traps, and geospatial tools to create a comprehensive monitoring framework. This approach can be adapted for other environmental challenges, such as flood monitoring, by integrating relevant data sources specific to those contexts.

  • Reliable access to real-time data from sensors, satellites, drones, and cameras is critical.
  • High-quality sensors and data processing systems must be available to collect and analyze diverse data types.
  • Systems must use compatible formats to integrate data seamlessly.
  • Interconnectivity & interoperability of systems is crucial. 
  • The platform must be software and hardware agnostic.
  • Cybersecurity and intercommunication are crucial.
Vulnerability Map

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.

  • Sharing of geospatial information with regulatory agencies in the mineral sector;
  • Access to specialist knowledge through collaboration with the National Centers for Research and Conservation of Fauna (ICMBio) and Flora (CNC-Flora/JBR) to identify conservation targets

The effort was necessary to meet a demand for information on environmental vulnerability perceived by the Institute itself in light of the catastrophic events that have occurred in Brazil in recent years with the collapse of mining dams.

Map for environmental compensation

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, with the aid of the vegan and sf packages of the R statistical program, which indicates a gradient of similarity between impacted and protected areas, grouped into groups and clusters for offsetting.

  • Access to specialist knowledge through collaboration with the National Centers for Research and Conservation of Fauna (ICMBio) and Flora (CNC-Flora/JBR) to identify conservation targets.
  • Knowledge accumulated in the management of federal conservation units, especially in the application of environmental compensation resources.
  • Brazilian legal framework that provides for the allocation of financial resources from projects that promote significant environmental impacts, such as mining, to strengthen the system of conservation units for environmental compensation purposes (Law No. 9,985, of July 18, 2000, which institutes the National System of Nature Conservation Units).

The analyses showed potential for refining the criteria currently established by Brazilian legislation for compensating environmental impacts

Compatibility map

This is a stage in the integration of information to generate a map that indicates the different levels of compatibility between the conservation of biodiversity and speleological heritage and mining, in search of solutions that help to avoid, mitigate and compensate for environmental impacts. This product is obtained by overlaying the Exposure to Impacts with the map of Sensitive Areas of Biodiversity and Speleological Heritage, which makes it possible to understand the gradient of compatibility between biodiversity conservation and mining, by pointing out: (i) which areas should be avoided and which should be prioritized for investments in mineral exploration; (ii) the environmental cost associated with each locational choice; and (iii) the type of mitigating measures to be adopted with greater intensity in each location. The method used to develop the tool can be easily replicated for other locations and even other threat vectors. 

  • Well-established theoretical and methodological bases that technically support the tool.
  • Spatial information generated that can be explored by different GIS tools and inserted into Web Map Service (WMS) environments, which facilitate application by the user.

Identification of how the environmental layer has been weakly included in the planning of economic activities and mainly that there is a demand for more precise information on environmental costs in activity planning.

The sensitivity map

Process of drawing up a gradient of biodiversity and speleological heritage to mining, which reflects increasing levels of vulnerability of conservation targets. We used Systematic Conservation Planning tools and concepts such as complementarity, representativeness, efficiency, irreplaceability, and vulnerability to generate the information behind the sensitivity of biodiversity. The biodiversity sensitivity map summarizes information on the components of biodiversity and geodiversity that are sensitive to the impacts of mineral exploration activities, such as their biological and ecological characteristics and the landscape factors that influence their distribution. In addition, a list of conservation targets is generated with the components of biodiversity and geodiversity that are eligible as conservation targets because they are sensitive to the chronic and acute impacts of mining. The targets could become even more vulnerable if preventive and impact mitigation measures were not adopted. Its realization depends on the systematization and construction of a wide variety of information on species, environmental variables and land use. It is a collaborative process that requires the participation of specialists and researchers to gather and validate the results.It is also the stage in which more information generated from the assessment of the risk of extinction of fauna species produced by ICMBio and Flora, under the responsibility of the Centro Nacional de Conservação da Flora (CNCFlora)  are incorporated into the tool. From this perspective, the process is a clear example of the application of scientific and participatory knowledge together with government management information around a common objective of environmental conservation and impact mitigation.

Access to specialist knowledge through coordination with the National Centers for Research and Conservation of Fauna (ICMBio), access to the Biodiversity Extinction Risk Assessment System – SALVE (https://salve.icmbio.gov.br), which stores occurrence records validated by taxonomic experts, and coordination with the Centro Nacional de Conservação da Flora (CNCFlora) (http://cncflora.jbrj.gov.br/portal)  to identify targets for Flora conservation.

The construction of the tool contributed to the improvement of participatory methods, considering that the involvement of different actors in the discussion and elaboration of PRIM Mining is crucial to guarantee transparency in the processes of defining targets and analysis parameters, increasing the reliability, robustness and scope of the results.

Impact Exposure Map

Process in which the actual chronic impacts of mining activity on the landscape, such as habitat loss, fragmentation and degradation, are estimated. This generates a gradient of exposure of biodiversity and speleological heritage and denotes increasing levels of severity of environmental damage. It involves liaising with sectoral bodies, systematizing environmental data and validating the results of the estimates generated with specialists. The methods used are those corroborated by the scientific community that can be replicated in any location and at different scales of the landscape.

Access to accurate spatial data for calculating landscape metrics, and a network of collaborating experts (related to the topic) for the participatory and transparent construction of results.

Sharing information with the mineral sector and research institutions
Understanding the need to improve impact assessments that consider the synergistic and cumulative effects of the activity.

Working with communities to ensure them sustainable economic activities and justice

The forestry sector is suffering from corruption and is limiting benefits for local and Indigenous communities. Our solution allows local communities to tackle forest illegalities and land rights violations and at the same time to secure their land rights and economic rights over forest resources by monitoring and protecting their territory, reinforcing sustainable development and autonomy.  Data collected through the tool also supports judicial or non-judicial cases when local and indigenous communities suffer human rights abuses. 

  • A good understanding of the current economic activities of the communities is needed 
  • Financial means to engage legal procedures is a must 
  • Collaborate with local partners specialised in legal actions or in sustainable business activities 
  • Parallel advocacy work to secure individual and collective land rights   
  • Sensitization on sustainable economic activities is key for the project success, and it must include all groups of the local or Indigenous community and have specific sensitization for women and girls. 
  • Staff trained or specialised in the different fields (justice/law & sustainable economy) is needed Women and girls are key change agents who have to be fully integrated in projects