Advancing conservation with space technology - Satellites for Biodiversity Award opens for its third round
Championing the use of cutting-edge satellite imagery with up to 15HD resolution to tackle nature loss and promote ecosystem preservation amid the looming threat of the sixth mass extinction.
This initiative, a collaboration between the Connected Conservation Foundation (CCF) and the Airbus Foundation, calls for innovative proposals from individuals and not-for-profit organisations. Participants are encouraged to leverage very high-resolution (VHR) satellite data with machine learning and community engagement, to monitor and safeguard the Earth’s most vulnerable creatures and environments.
The award will recognise three outstanding projects, providing them access to Airbus’s Pléiades and Pléiades Neo satellites, which offer exceptional detail at 30 cm and for the first time to the award, HD15 resolution. This precision allows for unprecedented insights, from monitoring the state of species to ecosystem connectivity to detecting threats from human activities.
In addition to satellite access, winners will receive complimentary ArcGIS Pro from ESRI to perform advanced mapping, visualisation and analysis and $6,000 in funding alongside ongoing support and mentorship from the Connected Conservation Foundation, enhancing their ability to create, analyse and share spatial data crucial for their conservation efforts.
Past winners have demonstrated the transformative potential of satellite technology, with projects ranging from protecting chimpanzee habitats in South Sudan to conserving Andean Bears in Peru.
Applications for the award are open globally, and call for a diverse range of projects that foster healthy ecosystems and peaceful coexistence, influence sustainable land-use practices and shape conservation policy.
“At a time when the health of our planet is more fragile than ever, we’re driving the integration of satellite technology, machine learning and local community-led knowledge to protect our most vulnerable species and ecosystems,” says Sophie Maxwell, Executive Director of the Connected Conservation Foundation.
“For the first time, we can produce landscape imagery at an extraordinary HD15 resolution, providing field projects with unparalleled detail and insights into the factors affecting animal populations and ecosystems globally. This gives researchers crucial data on factors affecting threatened species and changes in their habitats.”
"Building on the positive response to the previous editions, we are delighted to launch this third round of the Satellites for Biodiversity award. Our valued partnership with CCF enables us to pursue our global mission to leverage relevant data, tools, technologies and training for positive social and environmental impact” says Hania Tabet, Head of Social Value and Airbus Foundation Director.
“Through the Satellites for Biodiversity award, we strive to support projects acting for the protection of endangered species and their habitats across multiple geographies. Additionally, the Satellite for Biodiversity award also plays a crucial role in supporting policy advocacy and facilitating knowledge sharing."
As the award gains momentum, it continues to inspire a new wave of conservationists to harness the power of space technology for the planet's most pressing environmental challenges.
