In today’s evolving world, sustainability initiatives require innovative ways of harnessing data. The power of convergence must come into play to collate data from several sources. These include inputs from the Geographic Information System (GIS), satellite data, smartphone applications, fixed sensors and those mounted on unmanned aerial vehicles (UAVs).
Welcome to the world of technology-driven sustainability that monitors biodiversity, conservation and restoration initiatives, sustainable value chain governance and carbon sequestration.
Such channelling, collation and analysis of data requires an elaborate tech driven framework, which is what the nCount data platform provides. Hosted by the Bharti Institute of Public Policy-Indian School of Business (BIPP-ISB), it is a technology framework aimed to facilitate large scale sustainability actions across various sectors.
How does it achieve this? It harmonises an array of state-of-the-art technologies encompassing satellite, augmented reality/virtual reality (AR/VR), artificial intelligence/machine learning (AI/ML), blockchain and Internet of Things (IoT), to streamline the processes of data capture, processing, validation, dissemination and usability enhancement for actionable insights.
Prof. Ashwini Chhatre, Executive Director, BIPP, Indian School of Business, explains the mechanism used: “nCount is an intuitive and versatile web-and mobile-based digital ecosystem. It is an open-source, visualise-first data capture and analytics platform that is designed to drive sustainability impact at scale. We believe that the convergence of cutting-edge technologies revolutionises the large-scale sustainability action across sectors.”
According to him, the approach adopted emphasises the synergy between advanced computational methods and human expertise. In fact, he adds that in the realm of nCount, “data validation is not just a step in the process, it’s the cornerstone upon which actionable insights are built.”
Mapping forest products
The adoption of nCount by Palampur Forest Division, Himachal Pradesh recently marked the beginning of a step towards bridging measurement gaps in forest inventory and monitoring biodiversity. The Forest Department here will be deploying nCount for state-level mapping of non-timber forest products.
In the initial phase, the department will utilise the framework to swiftly gather the necessary data points required for training AI/ML (artificial intelligence/machine learning) models, which in turn will generate resource estimates of non-timber forest products.
Subsequently, the second phase will use nCount to generate high-resolution resource maps providing volumetric estimates of various forest products. This information will play a pivotal role in assessing economic potential, designing sustainable market chains and empowering communities to manage and market produce effectively.
One of the key aspects of the nCount platform is to facilitate engagement in areas such as climate change, biodiversity monitoring, conservation and restoration. The platform is designed to fulfil the data gaps where needed and build pipelines for generating actionable insights.
nCount is a multi-stakeholder initiative in which research institutes, public agencies, communities, media, civil society organizations (CSOs), academics, students and those committed to sustainability action have a role to play. It is powered by recent advancements in electronic sensors, digital and earth-observation technologies. It is designed for use by non-technical users with a limited exposure to digital technology and non-specialised training.
It has another interesting role to play. It empowers citizens through a user-friendly interface. Participants can actively contribute to the scientific understanding of biodiversity by documenting plant and animal species in their local ecosystems.
Data integrity and validation
Data validation is paramount and nCount employs intelligent computational techniques alongside human validation procedures to refine metadata before integration into AI/ML pipelines. The platform offers an intuitive interface, seamlessly involving domain experts and researchers in validation.
Apart from Himachal Pradesh, several other States are also evaluating or are in the process of utilising the platform for various conservation initiatives. One of the key challenges for effective management is the ability to understand natural, physical and anthropogenic systems and their constituent elements. This is possible only if one has the right longitudinal, large-scale and high frequency measurement information which nCount can provide.