Can AI “Made In Africa” help Kenya fight deforestation?

About the author

César Javier Palacios

Environmental journalist

César Javier Palacios is an environmental journalist, geographer, naturalist, and holds a doctorate in Art History. After an extensive career as editor-in-chief at Diario 16 Burgos and later at Claro, he contributed to El País and El País Semanal. He later relocated to Fuerteventura, working with Canarias7 and Agencia EFE.

His experience spans roles with the Doñana Biological Station (CSIC), SEO/BirdLife, Global Nature, the Fuerteventura Island Council, the national parks of Garajonay and Timanfaya, and the Biosphere Reserves of Lanzarote, La Gomera, and La Palma. He also served as Communications Director for the Félix Rodríguez de la Fuente Foundation and FSC Spain.

César is the host of El Señor de los Bosques (a nature and gastronomy program on Spain’s national TV channel La2). He writes a column for 20 Minutos, blogs at La Crónica Verde, and collaborates with RNE and Radio5. In the summer of 2024, he launched his own show, Músicas a Vuelapluma on Radio Clásica (a classical music station in Spain).

Meet the author

Artificial Intelligence (AI) has become the 21^st Century’s great revolution, a spectacular, technological, motor of change responsible for unimaginable progress taking place at breathtaking speed. Present in almost every facet of life, it is also performing a crucial role in protecting nature, especially in the fight against deforestation in very large countries with limited resources.

This is the example of Kenya, where a combination of technological innovation and sustainable practice is proving successful in combating deforestation and restoring vital ecosystems. It not only protects forests, but also contributes positively to the economic and environmental wellbeing of local communities, improving the lives of millions of people.

Local technology against deforestation: the case of M-Situ

A striking example of this is M-Situ, a Kenyan startup founded by local engineers in 2023. The company has developed sophisticated, 3D-printed, solar technology assembled locally and equipped with AI to detect threats such as illegal logging and forest fires. These are small devices fixed onto tree trunks that can scan a radius of up to three kilometers, sending data to the cloud in real time. They reduce the need to patrol areas constantly, optimizing resources for protecting the forests. The devices identify specific sounds, like chainsaws or fire, and send immediate alerts to forest rangers via text messages, allowing for a rapid, effective response.

First results are amazing. During the pilot program rolled out in Ngong, a forestry reserve near to Nairobi which is famous for the film Out Of Africa, M-Situ managed to reduce illegal logging by 47% from the same period the year before. Thanks to the installation of this small technological network, the authorities were able to protect 1,500 hectares of precious wooded area. The only problem is curious monkeys who play with the devices and sometimes damage them.

Such technology is proving essential to combat deforestation in Kenya, where, between 2001 and 2023, almost 400,000 hectares of forest were lost, 12% of the cover, due to illegal felling, charcoal production and fires intensified by climate change.

Smart reforestation via real-time data

Another significant initiative is the AZ Forest project. In collaboration with local experts specialized in restoring the landscape, this project uses an advanced AI learning model to analyze drone and satellite images, thereby monitoring the growth and health of trees while quantifying their carbon capture rates.

This focus, based on science and technology, seeks to promote long-term tree health, increase biodiversity and generate economic benefits for local communities. In parallel, the use of AI permits the improvement of soil health and regenerates water reserves, strengthening the local agroforestry economy.

Another fascinating initiative, developed by Amini, a company operating out of Nairobi, attempts to overcome the scarcity of African environmental data to allow the efficient management of natural resources. The startup integrates satellites, drones and IoT sensors able to record and transform the physical and chemical into electronic data which, combined with AI algorithms, provides detailed, real-time information about wide-ranging ecological conditions, including soil health, forest cover and agricultural productivity.

By offering precise, processable data, Amini is facilitating the implementation of more efficient and effective reforestation projects throughout Africa, not just in Kenya. Its technology permits the identification of areas that are better for planting trees, monitors the growth and health of forests and evaluates the impact of reforestation initiatives in capturing carbon and protecting biodiversity. It contributes significantly to efforts to mitigate climate change and sustainability across the continent.

Meanwhile, initiatives such as Seedballs Kenya are using innovative technologies for reforestation. This company produces and distributes balls of seeds covered with charcoal, which protects them from predators such as birds, rodents and insects, and safeguards them from extreme climate conditions so that the rainfall can help their germination in degraded areas. This facilitates ecosystem restoration efficiently and economically. The ‘seedballs’ can be launched from drones, which permits smart, precise reforestation, particularly in areas difficult to access. Also, combined with geolocation technologies and the use of AI, it is possible to monitor the progress of each seed planted.

Aerial launches using drones can cover up to 20 hectares in less than 15 minutes, dispersing thousands of tree seeds with high efficiency. And it works! Its use in Mau Forestry Reserve and the Nyakweri region have achieved excellent results documented by satellite.

A promising and intelligent future for Africa

All these initiatives reflect a growing tendency in Africa, where emerging AI companies are performing a crucial role in the digital transformation of the continent. With at least 669 companies focused on AI identified in 54 African countries, new projects are innovating in key sectors such as the environment, agriculture, health and education, tackling critical challenges thanks to the use of this cutting-edge technology.

The integration of AI in forest conservation and environmental management in Kenya is not only helping to protect forests, but also empowering local communities, bringing about improvements in biodiversity, and contributing to the global fight against climate change. These technological solutions demonstrate that the potential of “Made In Africa” innovation to tackle environmental challenges and bring about sustainable development and resilience is not only possible, but already a highly intelligent reality.