DEPARTMENT FOR BUSINESS, ENERGY & INDUSTRIAL STRATEGY

Developing automated detection and monitoring of peat fires in Indonesia with thermal infrared sensors under drones

Project disclaimer

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Description

Climate change presents the single biggest threat to sustainable development across the world. Its widespread, unprecedented impacts disproportionately burden the poorest and most vulnerable. The Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change concluded it is extremely likely that human influence has been the dominant cause of climate change since the mid-20th century. The global rise in atmospheric concentration of CO2 has been a major driver in the change of climate. Scientists estimate that peat forest fires can contribute up to 15-20% of all yearly global anthropogenic CO2 emissions -- more than the global transport sector. Currently the severe (dry) conditions leading to these extreme fires occurs roughly every decade, but with climate change their frequency may increase. The annually re-occurring peat forest fires in Indonesia represent a substantial fraction of the global anthropogenic CO2 emissions. Efforts are underway to find and contain the fires, but the challenges faced in achieving this are considerable. For example, to completely extinguish a peat fire with an area of only 1 square meter requires 200-400 litres of water(!). Identifying the precise location of fires when they are small and more easily contained and extinguished is therefore vital. Once a peat fire has become established, it can burn for weeks and is incredibly difficult to extinguish, leading to large areas of forest loss, plantation and property damage, huge carbon emissions, enormous economic losses, and prolonged exposure of local people to toxic haze pollution. This haze, plus the sometimes thick vegetation at fire sights and the fact that peat fires can burn underground, means fire-fighters frequently struggle to ascertain where best to focus their efforts to control the fires, in addition to creating health and safety issues for fire-fighting team members. Working closely in collaboration with key stakeholders in Indonesia, our pilot study in July 2018 showed that our drone plus thermal infrared camera system can easily identify hot spots in peat fires burning both underground and through the smoke -- current fundamental bottlenecks in stopping the fires. We now propose to use GCRF funding to hire a PDRA to develop our system to achieve automated, real-time detection of above- and below-surface fires on the drone, so that real-time fire detection and monitoring in the field can be achieved. We will train local NGOs, Government partners and local fire-fighting teams in the usage of the system, to facilitate local uptake of the technology and deliver technological knowledge transfer, thus improving longer-term local fire-fighting capacity and reducing the negative impacts associated with these fires. At the end of the funding we aim to: (i) have demonstrated the system's use in the field during two full fire seasons; (ii) have quantified a significant increase in firefighting efficiency by statistically comparing the extent and duration of the fires tackled with/without the system; and (iii) estimate the resulting long-term reduction in atmospheric CO2 emission and haze (which we estimate will be a factor >10). We will then be in a position to apply for future funding to take the system to fire zones around the world, concentrating on those with the biggest global impact on increasing atmospheric CO2 levels and ill health due to toxic haze.

Objectives

The Global Challenges Research Fund (GCRF) supports cutting-edge research to address challenges faced by developing countries. The fund addresses the UN sustainable development goals. It aims to maximise the impact of research and innovation to improve lives and opportunity in the developing world.

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Location

The country, countries or regions that benefit from this Programme.

Indonesia

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