How IoT can fight environmental problems?
In today's heavily urbanized and globalized world, we often forget about the negative impact our actions have on the environment.
But, this also affects our own quality of life that`s threatened by climate change, air pollution and other ecological catastrophes that are destroying our comfort zone.
It`s time to admit it. We have a problem. In fact, we have many problems β from air pollution to the extinction of flora and fauna species.
The question is, what can we do to reverse the detrimental effects of the unsustainable way we live.
There must be a solution. Here`s how IoT deployment can help fight environmental threats.
The technology company IBM has launched a number of IoT applications that are called βWatson IoTβ. The product aims to tackle environmental challenges by reducing harmful waste and pollution. Let`s explore some examples of how this is done:
The intelligent application of IoT is used to manage buildings and homes. One of these applications is reportedly being flow sensors. The latter are used to detect real-time leakage and send alerts when they are detected. This can assist in reducing the water waste and improve management and consumption.
Another thing digital sensors can do is detecting pollution levels, air quality, hazardous radiations and chemicals that can help us track on important environmental problems.
IoT sensors, weather data, and drone imagery can be employed to carry out soil management, irrigation, and crop yields more efficiently. All of the above can be described as efficient farming techniques that can help the environment.
Outside of the realm of smart cities, other major environmental problems can be observed in natural ecosystems like rivers, lakes, forests and the wildlife inhabiting these places. It`s time to look into some use cases of IoT as observed in these areas:
The RainForest Connection is using IoT to prevent deforestation and illegal logging activities. The company deploys sensors using old mobile phones, which are attached to a tree and which can enable them to monitor and detect deforestation and poaching activities that are happening across big distances.
IoT is being used to track bee populations and monitor the conditions of hives. As you may know, bees are extremely important in preserving the biodiversity of the ecosystem and the recent decline in the bee population has had a negative impact on farming.
Project Rapid (Real-Time Anti-Poaching Intelligent Device) is being used in Africa to prevent the horrific poaching activities that threaten rhino populations. The rhinos are connected with three connected devices - a camera, a heart rate monitor and a GPS tracker. These alerts are switched on when the animal is in distress, track its movements and also provide access to video footage of poachers.
It seems like IoT can be useful when it comes to helping the environment. Protecting the only home we have is of utmost importance for our survival.
What other technologies can be used to help us succeed in completing this vital task? Share your ideas in the comments below.
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