#Huawei #Tech4Nature #Mexico #IUCN #Merida

Huawei Launches Phase Two of Tech4Nature Project

The 2025 Tech4Nature Summit recently took place in Merida, Mexico, where Huawei, the International Union for Conservation of Nature (IUCN), and local partners initiated the second phase of the Tech4Nature project. This initiative aims to enhance the protection of jaguars in the Dzilam de Bravo state reserve and to study the impact of climate change on biodiversity in the region.

At the heart of this project is a critical acknowledgment that almost 42% of ecosystems in Mexico are currently suffering from various degrees of degradation. Dr. Marina Robles García, the Undersecretary for Biodiversity and Environmental Restoration at the Mexican Ministry of Environment and Natural Resources, emphasized the need for a collective effort to address these challenges, stating, "It requires monitoring and extensive restoration work, but it also signifies something more crucial, which is exactly what we are witnessing through this alliance."

Launched in 2020, Tech4Nature represents a global partnership between Huawei and IUCN, designed to utilize technological innovation to bolster conservation efforts aligned with Huawei’s TECH4ALL initiative and the IUCN Green List. "Today, we celebrate a shared vision, which recognizes that conservation can no longer depend solely on good intentions or isolated policies. We need science, technology, autonomous communities, and committed governments," highlighted Joaquín Díaz Mena, the governor of Yucatán, during the summit.

The jaguar is classified as near-threatened on the IUCN Red List due to habitat loss and fragmentation. In the first phase of the project, 60 audio devices and over 20 camera traps were installed in the Dzilam de Bravo reserve. With the aid of trained AI models, the system can identify sounds produced by various species and capture their images. By April 2025, the initiative had successfully identified a total of 147 species and confirmed the presence of nine jaguars within the territory.

The focus of the second phase is set to be on gathering data regarding the distribution of jaguar populations and generating comprehensive information to inform decision-making processes. This endeavor aims to enhance management practices within the reserve and create biological corridors that support biodiversity.

The Tech4Nature Summit has convened experts, scientists, and conservation leaders from around the globe to share progress and strategies in technology-driven nature conservation. Tao Jingwen, Huawei's Board Director and Sustainable Development Committee Chair, remarked, "Digital technology is making biodiversity conservation much more efficient and enabling governments and environmentalists to take faster and more targeted actions. I hope more of our partners will join the Tech4Nature initiative to transform digital technology into a common tool for global ecosystem conservation."

Besides Mexico, the summit also highlighted the second-phase projects of Tech4Nature in countries such as Brazil, China, Spain, Kenya, and Turkey, showcasing how digital technologies and AI-based analyses can be adapted to the specific needs of various ecosystems.

Úrsula Parrilla, Director for the IUCN's regional office for Mexico, Central America, and the Caribbean (ORMACC), expressed confidence in the second phase of the partnership, stating, "This new chapter will encompass six countries, promoting transformational change for species, ecosystems, and their communities. By integrating technology into large-scale conservation efforts, we contribute to achieving global objectives aimed at placing nature at the heart of sustainable development."

Overview of Phase Two Projects

Brazil: Studying climate change impacts on Marajó Island and monitoring the mangrove crab as an ecosystem health indicator.

China: Utilizing digital networking solutions and AI-based analysis to aid the repopulation of the critically endangered Hainan gibbon, of which only 42 individuals remain.

Spain: Aiming to protect the Bonelli's eagle in the Sant Llorenç del Munt i l'Obac Natural Park by using digital technologies to analyze the park visitor impacts on reproductive success.

Kenya: Improving monitoring in marine protected areas and coral reefs within the Kisite-Mpunguti National Marine Park to address issues such as illegal fishing and tourism pressures while monitoring parrotfish, which help corals thrive.

Turkey: Pioneering collaboration across NGOs, private sector, and government to assess biodiversity protection, focusing on large mammals like deer and wild goats in two pilot sites.

The 2025 Tech4Nature Summit exemplified how collaboration among the technology sector, NGOs, governments, academic institutions, and local communities has forged a new paradigm for biodiversity and ecosystem conservation.

More Information on TECH4ALL

TECH4ALL is Huawei's long-term initiative and action plan for digital inclusion. Through innovative technologies and partnerships, TECH4ALL aims to promote inclusion and sustainability in the digital world. For more information, visit TECH4ALL.

For further details on Tech4Nature, check out Tech4Nature Programme.