Image provided by Kuva Space

Indonesia is to use satellite technology to monitor and quantify its blue carbon assets, thanks to a new partnership between Kuva Space and WWF-Indonesia. The initiative will use satellite data and AI to help WWF-Indonesia make informed decisions here. The two companies announced the partnership, Dec. 11.

The collaboration will focus on mapping seagrass and mangrove habitats across key restoration sites in East Nusa Tenggara and East Kalimantan, where WWF-Indonesia has been working for decades. This will provide a scalable, scientific evidence-based approach to coastal conservation and blue carbon estimation. The resulting data will form a transparent, scalable foundation for blue carbon accounting, policy planning, and sustainable finance – creating a model that can be replicated across other coastal nations and integrated into global carbon frameworks.

Hyperspectral imaging aims to capture data far beyond the range of conventional satellites, detecting subtle biochemical and spectral signatures that reveal ecosystem composition and health. Combined with advanced AI models, Kuva Space’s technology aims to translate this data into precise insights on species distribution, biomass, water quality, and carbon sequestration – critical indicators for verifying blue carbon and scaling sustainable finance.

“Monitoring blue carbon ecosystems has traditionally relied on labor-intensive fieldwork that can take years and cover only a fraction of the area. With novel and innovative spaceborne and AI tools like ours, we can detect, identify, and forecast blue ecosystems with greater accuracy, frequency, and scale, empowering local communities with near real-time insights to tackle transparency issues, ensure equitable pricing, and secure sustainable financing. WWF-Indonesia and Kuva Space’s strategic collaboration will be a powerful testament to how global-local partnerships can become a cornerstone of sustainable environmental finance,” Jarkko Antila, CEO, Kuva Space, said in a statement.