Professional Documents
Culture Documents
Role of Information Technology in The Environment: Technological Advancements: A Bane or Boon?
Role of Information Technology in The Environment: Technological Advancements: A Bane or Boon?
1) Smart collars embedded with GPS, meters, and sensors to keep track
of endangered species like rhinos and elephants.
2) Remote monitoring of wildlife sounds and noises to detect any
predator harm or natural distress.
3) SIM-based collars for animals near human habitats to reduce animal-
human conflicts.
4) Gene sequencing techniques to save endangered species from
incurable diseases like cancer.
1
5) Conservation drones to track and monitor wild forest regions for any natural disasters like
forest fires that can cause animals to be killed. 6) Predictive analytics for animals to gather
information about every species on the planet and work comprehensively in protecting them.
4) Energy-Efficient Farming
Our ways of farming are becoming less harmful to the environment as we
begin to understand how our actions affect surrounding ecosystems.
Genetically modified crops are able to improve yields dramatically, and
as we better understand how to get the most out of our crops, we need
less land to produce the same amount of food. Meat grown definitely
raises a few raised eyebrows, but it is predicted to become a valuable
source of cleaner, greener protein for humans. It can also be tailored to
our specific nutritional needs and cut out harmful compounds.
As people have greater access to information, more people can realize their impact and find ways
to combat it. For example, the hole created by CFCs in the ozone was only discovered due to the
2
invention of the Dobson Ozone Spectrophotometer, which allowed us to understand the full
extent of damage these gases were having. Artificial intelligence (AI) is another advancement that
could transform our perspective of the environment. It could help us to better understand the
long-term effects of our actions through simulations and predictions.
Apart from the obvious advancements in technology that have led to the betterment of the
environment, there exist databases and certain other management systems that assimilate
information on the various aspects of the environment.
• Wildlife databases,
• Forest cover database, and
• Conservation database, etc. They are also available on
• Diseases including malaria, fluorosis, HIV/AIDS, etc.
1. Pollution control
2. Clean technologies
3. Remote sensing
4. Coastal ecology
5. Biodiversity
6. Western and eastern Ghats
3
7. Environmental management
8. Media related to environment, renewable energy, desertification, mangroves, wildlife,
Himalayan ecology, mining, etc.
The most important benefit of technology in the environment is probably remote sensing and GIS
or geographic information systems.
GIS can be also be used to visualize data about natural resources, hazards, pollution emissions,
health of ecosystems, climate change and so on. It is also very effective tool to analyze ecological
footprints; improve watershed resource management; and respond to climate change, pollution,
and much more. Now, let us look at remote sensing.
Remote Sensing
Remote sensing is one of the methods commonly used for collecting physical data to be
integrated into GIS. Remote sensors collect data from objects on the earth without any direct
contact. They do this by detecting energy reflected from the earth; these detectors are typically
mounted on satellites or aircraft.
Remote sensing technology has
become much more prevalent,
accurate and accessible in the recent
years, and covers a wide range of
engineering applications. For
example, Satellite imageries provide
us with real-time information about
various physical and biological
resources, water logging,
desertification, deforestation, urban
sprawl, river and canal network,
mineral and energy reserves and so
on. Digital information on a number of aspects like water resources, industrial growth, human
settlements, road network, soil type, forest land, crop land or grassland can be accessed and
analyzed. Data on monsoons, ozone layer depletion, smog can help in taking steps to deal with
these issues effectively. Several softwares are also available that help along in this quest for the
improvement of the environment.
4
Satellite Imaging
Anyone with an internet connection can now use Google Earth software to monitor or support
scientific research on almost any place on the earth’s surface. High-resolution satellite imagery is
used to produce images using this software. Several ocean monitoring satellites have also been
launched recently, which provide additional information required on various data such as a)
Surface winds, ocean surface strata, b) Chlorophyll concentrations in ocean waters, c) Monitoring
phytoplankton blooms, d) Atmospheric aerosols and suspended sediments in water. Several
projects have been launched by the government of India, for the betterment of human health with
the aid of technology. Health SAT is one such initiative by ISRO (Indian Space Research
Organization).
HealthSAT
HealthSAT is a telemedicine system, housed in a small health centre. It consisting of a PC with
customized medical software connected to a few medical diagnostic instruments, such as an ECG
or X-ray scanner for scanning X-ray photos. Digitized versions of patients’ medical images and
diagnostic details (such as X-ray and blood reports) are dispatched to specialist doctors through
the satellite-based communication link. The information, is in turn, received at the specialist centre
where experienced doctors examine these reports, diagnose, interact with the patients (along
with local doctors), and suggest appropriate treatment through video-conferencing.
Kiosk
The Information Kiosk, on the other hand, is an IT based facility available in rural areas. It provides
information on groundwater use and cropping system changes. This technology can also be
made use of in the conservation of wildlife and for the protection of endangered species. The
Kiosk software is a touch screen driven setup with (no physical keyboard) with large icons
displaying limited but focused data supported by graphics and animation. Local language is for
ease of understanding, though it can be accessed in multiple languages, with simple and clear
navigational paths.