The implementation of AI-powered satellite monitoring offers an innovative and effective solution to prevent environmental crimes. Today, environmental crimes are the fourth criminal activity behind drug trafficking, human trafficking and counterfeiting. According to Interpol and the United Nations Environment Programme, these crimes grow by 5% to 7% each year.
Being able to monitor and understand what is happening in the space environment, an increasingly crucial domain for civil and military activities, is now essential for all States. Technology, analysis and information dissemination are therefore key elements, but they must be applied and used as part of the solution and developed with a view to sustainability.
Protecting the environment from eco-criminal attacks also involves technology, which is increasingly crucial in the fight against illegal phenomena that accelerate the already serious processes of alteration of ecosystem balance and loss of biodiversity.
What is being done to monitor the planet and space?
The European Space Agency and e-GEOS (a company created by the Italian Space Agency and Telespazio, part of the Leonardo group) have launched a new project based on the processing of satellite data and open source intelligence, which aims to monitor illegal activities and environmental crimes.
By using satellite data and developing specific algorithms, it will be possible to quickly access and provide the necessary information on potential violations of environmental standards, such as illegal trafficking and disposal of waste or illegal mining.
Leonardo also has a maritime traffic management system (VTMS), which integrates and interconnects all the assets needed to manage maritime operations safely, covering everything from the protection of the marine environment to traffic management, law enforcement and safety at sea.
Furthermore, it helps the operator to make critical decisions in real time, as it suggests options to deal with a situation, considering the kinematics of the threat, the distance from allied assets, and their position, and state of readiness. This decision support is based on an “event-driven” architecture that alerts operators when an anomaly occurs.
A great example is illegal fishing, which is the third most profitable illegal activity in the world. It affects sustainable fishing and the protection of species – especially those in danger of extinction – since indiscriminate, illegal, unreported and unregulated fishing causes the decline of fish populations.
More than 25 years ago, it was considered a major threat to international fisheries. Extraordinary efforts, such as the adoption of the UN Fish Stocks Agreement and the UN Enforcement Agreement, illustrated the importance of tackling illegal fishing globally.
Thanks to the implementation of VTMS, it is possible to have information on the trajectory of vessels in order to know their fishing activities. The data cross-checking also makes it easier to know whether the vessel is carrying out said activity or not and whether or not it has authorization.
Another very common problem is environmental debris orbiting the Earth. This can include satellite fragments, rocket components, and non-operational or out-of-service satellites that can cause collisions with active satellites.
For these cases, Leonardo’s Space Situational Awareness (SSA), which focuses on the observation and understanding of space objects, especially in low Earth orbit, is the best system for tracking and analyzing objects in space through ground-based instruments and orbital space assets.
In conclusion, by integrating advanced technologies such as satellite data processing and open source intelligence, with management systems such as VTMS and SSA, a global protection shield is being created that not only detects, but also prevents irreparable damage to the environment.
This technological innovation, in addition to allowing for a faster and more effective response to eco-crimes, underlines the importance of using these tools with a focus on sustainability, ensuring that today’s solutions do not compromise the resources and well-being of future generations.
At Leonardo we know that in a world where ecosystems are under constant threat, the role of these technologies in preserving biodiversity and ecological balance is increasingly crucial and will undoubtedly become a central pillar in the protection of the planet.
Vice President of International Business Development for Leonardo in the LATAM Region and General Manager of Leonardo Brazil
Source: Ambito
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