Rainforest deforestation. It’s a dilemma each of us would like to diagnose and rectify, but perhaps individually don’t know where to begin, overwhelmed with the current spiral of environmental crises we’re facing globally today.
At Slingshot Simulations, we’re working alongside the Rainforest Trust to provide data-based and spatial-optimised solutions. Essentially, the aim being to save tropical ecosystems and, in turn, the species which inhabit them.
What is the deforestation challenge?
The Rainforest Trust, a conservationist organisation with the aim of protecting threatened rainforests and species, are caught in a challenge.
There are approximately 1.8 billion hectares of unprotected forest land remaining in the tropics. These trees will likely be subject to bulldozing for projects, drowning for damming or cut down for land speculation.
Furthermore, this will lead to the destruction of animals’ habitats. The Rainforest Trust must identify which places are in most vital need of protection to prioritise threatened species and our planet overall.
Simulations, spatially-explicit data tools and optimisation mapping can allow us to achieve this goal.
“Partnering with Slingshot gives us access to incredible computing power and expertise that allows us to rapidly analyze huge amounts of data. We use these analyses on a daily basis to identify areas around the world where establishing protected areas will provide the greatest benefit to threatened species.”
Erin McCreless
Conservation Science and Monitoring Specialist at the Rainforest Trust
How does geospatial and digital twin technology help?
First, the rapid combination of disparate data sources into a unified environment allows for high-speed data processing, automation, and insight. Then, these automated processes can both save time for analysts at the rainforest trust and allows for clearer communication with stakeholders.
Erin McCreless, Conservation Science and Monitoring Specialist at the Rainforest Trust, is our key point of contact with the Virginia based environmental organisation. She has substantial experience in threatened species conservation, invasive species impacts, data analysis, socio-political aspects of biodiversity conservation. Therefore, she works with Alex Trout, Web Developer at Slingshot Simulations, who leads the collaborative project.
“This represents a huge step forward in big data processing for good, which is something embedded into the culture here at slingshot. Therefore, the Rainforest Trust project perhaps best exemplifies the potential for our technology to make a tangible difference.”
Alex Trout
Application Engineer and Project Lead at Slingshot Simulations
Watch our video to find out more…
https://youtu.be/EcgIJ8kD480
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Contact Megan Johnson on megan.johnson@slingshotsimulations.co.uk for direct enquires or queries.