In a groundbreaking partnership, IBM and the World Wide Fund for Nature – Germany (WWF) have announced a collaboration to create an innovative AI-powered solution aimed at bolstering conservation efforts for the critically endangered African forest elephant. This joint initiative merges IBM’s technological expertise with WWF’s profound knowledge in wildlife conservation to enhance the monitoring and protection of these vital keystone species.

AI-driven technology for elephant conservation

The new solution will harness IBM’s advanced AI technology to improve the tracking of African forest elephants. IBM’s Maximo Visual Inspection (MVI) software will be central to this effort, utilizing AI to analyse camera trap images and identify individual elephants with high precision. The technology aims to improve the accuracy of tracking these elephants, whose role in carbon storage and ecosystem maintenance is crucial. African forest elephants are known to enhance carbon sequestration in their forest habitats, thus playing a significant role in climate regulation.

In addition to tracking, this technology could eventually help assess the financial value of the ecosystem services provided by these elephants, such as their contribution to carbon sequestration. This capability will support efforts to quantify the natural capital provided by the species, potentially leading to new investment opportunities in sustainable finance.

Addressing the decline of African forest elephants

The African forest elephant population has plummeted by over 80% in recent decades due to habitat loss and poaching, particularly in the Congo Basin. This dramatic decline underscores the urgency of effective conservation strategies. By integrating advanced technology into conservation efforts, IBM and WWF aim to address this crisis and enhance the effectiveness of their initiatives.

IBM’s commitment to sustainability

Oday Abbosh, Global Sustainability Services Leader at IBM Consulting, expressed the company’s dedication to making a positive global impact. Abbosh highlighted that the partnership with WWF represents a significant advancement in IBM’s sustainability efforts, combining their technological prowess with WWF’s conservation expertise to foster a more sustainable future.

IBM Consulting’s collaboration with WWF is set to leverage IBM’s Environmental Intelligence technology to monitor biomass and vegetation in regions where African forest elephants reside. This will enable more accurate predictions of their movements and enhance the quantification of their contribution to natural capital.

Expert insights on the project’s impact

Kendra Dekeyrel, Vice President of ESG and Asset Management at IBM, emphasised the transformative potential of this technology. She noted that IBM’s AI capabilities, when combined with WWF’s conservation knowledge, could revolutionise the way organizations approach sustainability and conservation.

Dr. Thomas Breuer, WWF Germany’s African Forest Elephant Coordinator, underscored the significance of the AI-driven solution. Breuer highlighted the challenge of counting African forest elephants and the potential for AI to revolutionise this process, providing more precise population estimates and facilitating performance-based conservation measures.

Harnessing natural capital for a sustainable future

The concept of natural capital encompasses the world’s stocks of natural assets, including geology, soil, air, water, and wildlife. These assets provide essential ecosystem services and contribute to human well-being. For instance, an African forest elephant can significantly enhance the carbon capture capacity of its forest habitat, potentially translating into a dollar value of up to $1.75 million per elephant, according to the International Monetary Fund (IMF).

This collaboration between IBM and WWF represents a pivotal step towards leveraging technology to support conservation and sustainability efforts. By integrating AI into wildlife monitoring, the partners aim to unlock new avenues for sustainable investment and bolster the fight against climate change.

  African forest elephant, Dr. Thomas Breuer, IBM, Kendra Dekeyrel, Maximo Visual Inspection, Oday Abbosh, World Wide Fund For Nature – Germany, WWF