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Huawei Teams Up to Protect Coral Reefs in Kenya

In an ambitious collaboration, Huawei, the International Union for Conservation of Nature (IUCN), and the Kenya Wildlife Service (KWS) have launched the Tech4Nature project, aimed at monitoring and protecting the coral reefs and biodiversity around the Kisite-Mpunguti Marine Park and Reserve. This initiative comes as part of Huawei’s TECH4ALL initiative as well as IUCN’s Green List program, focusing on enhancing management and monitoring of protected areas over the next three years.

Located on Kenya's southern coast, the Kisite-Mpunguti Marine Park faces several environmental challenges, including illegal fishing, a lack of human resources for effective patrolling, and the absence of remote monitoring of the park’s coral islands. Compounding these challenges is a limited understanding among local communities of the importance of coral reef preservation, alongside inadequate communication infrastructure for supporting monitoring efforts.

Khadija Mohamed, Huawei Kenya’s Media and Government Relations Director, states, “Tech4Nature is a large-scale project that seeks to integrate technology into daily life to improve global standards and promote sustainable living worldwide.” The project plans to use underwater cameras, photogrammetry technology, and audio monitoring to observe marine flora and fauna, including parrotfish biomass and population, an essential species for preventing algae overgrowth on corals.

This initiative will also monitor seagrass cover and populations of green turtles and bottlenose dolphins, both of which are classified as endangered or vulnerable by the IUCN. Innocent Kabenga, head of the IUCN's Kenya office, remarks, “The technology we are developing is revolutionary for preserving marine environments in Kenya. It will provide a first-of-its-kind monitoring tool for data collection, analysis, and management within the marine reserve.” Moreover, the project aims to assist in acquiring Green List certification, aligned with sustainable development goals supported by tourism.

Artificial intelligence will play a crucial role in recognizing specific target species through their appearance or sounds, delivering real-time data on biodiversity behavior, populations, and distributions. This system is capable of identifying vessels involved in illegal fishing activities and sending alerts to rangers for timely intervention. In addition, the deployment of a digital energy solution and enhanced networking coverage will facilitate the rapid transfer of collected data to cloud servers for AI analysis.

This project will be implemented in collaboration with KWS and the Wildlife Research and Training Institute (WRTI). Utilizing data collected from the project, the Tech4Nature partners aim to devise targeted conservation strategies for the reserve. Adan Kala, Senior Assistant Director of KWS's Coastal Conservation Area, emphasizes the need for clear resource understanding, stating, “Our collaboration with Huawei and IUCN will involve installing underwater cameras to gather data on marine mammals, corals, and fishery activities, facilitating informed decision-making.” By gauging data from extensive areas that KWS cannot patrol daily, this technology aims to provide continuous monitoring for better resource management.

The project also plans to engage local communities through educational initiatives aimed at raising awareness of biodiversity changes over time and the various species, including endangered or vulnerable ones.

Finally, the project will assess the reserve’s operations according to IUCN's Green List standards, striving to ensure the protected area earns certification.

About Tech4Nature

Launched in 2020, the Tech4Nature initiative by Huawei and IUCN aims to achieve greater conservation success through technological innovations. Within this framework, 11 flagship projects have been supported across eight countries, focusing on tailored solutions for various conservation challenges.

About TECH4ALL

TECH4ALL is Huawei's long-term initiative aimed at enhancing the accessibility of digital technologies. Implemented through innovative technology and partnerships, it seeks to foster inclusivity and sustainable development in the digital world.