Precision Biodiversity: Digitalisation & IoT Programme

ASM has committed to setting Planetary Health as the foundation of policymaking for future Malaysia. In 2019, the SIG on Biodiversity was formed to study the utilisation of technologies in preserving, monitoring, and managing biodiversity of the nation. The Strategic Paper on Precision Biodiversity was for

mulated to test the idea of Precision Biodiversity. This resulted in a five-year long Digitalisation & IoT programme on Biodiversity Pilot Project that has been granted a development fund of RM7 million under the 12^th  Malaysia Plan Rolling Plan (12^th MP), commencing on 1 January 2022 in the Pasoh Forest Reserve, Negeri Sembilan. 

To put the recommendation to test, The Pasoh Forest Reserve was where Artificial Intelligent (AI) and Internet of Things (IoT) was used to capture biodiversity and environmental data in a precise and near real-time manner. This transformed data collection approach replaces current labour-intensive operation.  

The continuous data feed from AI & IoT system enable data analytics to manage biodiversity more effectively in thecountry. An ecology simulator will be developed to simulate possible impact of human activities and environmental changes on biodiversity.

A Precision Biodiversity Alliance is proposed to be formed with aims to provide guidance to develop the system and ecology simulator in this pilot project. In the long run, the alliance seeks to incorporate science and technology in biodiversity management. The system will be put under the purview of Malaysia Biodiversity Centre (MBC) which is currently under development, to ensure the system is sustainable enough to be implemented at the national level. 

This programme’s major challenge is to ensure the system’s sustainability after the programme ends in 2025. By having vital discussions with stakeholders, the proposed Precision Biodiversity Alliance will ensure that not only this pilot project, but the future S&T application in biodiversity management is taken care of. Such collaboration would be based on the “whole-of-government” and “whole-of-society” approaches touted in the 12^th Malaysia Plan for the benefit of all. 

In 2023, the team will start data integration exercise with existing databases, data curation, and developing AI-based species identification function. The team will also start the development of data collection system and facilities, including installing sensors on the ground.  Knowledge and technology sharing sessions with officers on the ground will be initiated to equip them with AI & IoT knowledge necessary to manage the developed system and facilities in the future. The team is also collaborating to produce the FAIR Data Stewardship Guidelines for Reproducibility in Biodiversity Research.