Vodafone Uses IoT and AI to Enhance UK National Park Conservation

Vodafone Leverages IoT and AI to Protect UK National Parks

Vodafone has launched a three-year partnership with the UK's National Parks to enhance their protection and care using the Internet of Things (IoT) and Artificial Intelligence (AI). The collaboration encompasses all fifteen National Parks in the UK and aims to optimize conservation efforts, improve visitor experience, and ensure the long-term sustainability of these important natural landscapes.

A key focus of the project is the use of AI to improve habitat mapping. Through automated data collection and analysis, the speed at which detailed information about habitats and biodiversity is gathered can be significantly increased compared to traditional manual methods. The insights gained are intended to enable park authorities to make more informed decisions regarding conservation.

Furthermore, Vodafone plans to utilize its network infrastructure as a sensor network to collect real-time data about the National Parks. This data will provide information on biodiversity levels, the impact of visitor numbers on sensitive areas, and the general condition of the habitats, among other things. Similar technologies have already been deployed by Vodafone in a pilot project for flood early warning on the River Severn.

In addition to the direct use of technology in conservation, the partnership also includes initiatives to improve public access to nature and raise awareness of its health benefits. New ways will be explored to enrich the visitor experience of the estimated 90 million annual park visitors and strengthen people's connection with nature.

Coinciding with the launch of the partnership, Vodafone released a study on the British public's relationship with nature. The results show that despite the high value of nature experiences for health – estimated at £8.4 billion – only a small proportion of Britons (8%) spend time in nature daily. 82% of respondents stated they would like to spend more time outdoors. The most common obstacles cited were lack of time (34%) and lack of company (19%).

Interestingly, the study also shows that technology serves as a substitute for direct nature experiences. Over half of the respondents (55%) stated that they use technologies such as online nature photography or social media to engage with nature when a physical visit is not possible. The younger generation (16-34 years) uses these digital opportunities most frequently. At the same time, this age group also recorded the highest number of actual park visits in the last two months.

The study further highlights the public's expectation for companies to participate in addressing the UK's environmental challenges. A majority (78%) believe that companies can play an important role, particularly by supporting technology-based solutions (47%), habitat restoration (45%), and initiatives to improve public access to nature (40%).

Vodafone's commitment to the National Parks is in line with the company's comprehensive environmental goals, which include achieving net-zero emissions in the UK by 2040 and contributing to the protection and restoration of nature in the country.