Synspective has been selected for a UNDP project and will conduct a demonstration of satellite data- and AI-based coastal monitoring in Jamaica’s Portland Bight Protected Area. Technical training will also be provided in cooperation with local government agencies through 2 demonstration components.
The project is being carried out under the sixth round of the Japan SDGs Innovation Challenge organized by the United Nations Development Programme (UNDP), with Synspective selected as the Japanese corporate partner for Jamaica. The project aims to develop and demonstrate a system that uses satellite data and AI to monitor long-term changes in the coastline, ecosystem dynamics and flood conditions following disasters.
The demonstration will cover the Portland Bight Protected Area on Jamaica’s southern coast, an area with diverse ecosystems including mangrove forests, wetlands, seagrass beds and coral reefs. Conventional environmental monitoring has been fragmented, and the lack of long-term data has been a challenge.
The demonstration will integrate and analyze data from SAR and optical satellites using AI to create distribution maps of mangroves, sandy beaches and wetlands. It will verify a system for quantifying coastline shifts and ecosystem degradation and rapidly assessing the extent of flooding after disasters.
Technical training for local government agencies and the development of a framework for continued use will also be pursued. The demonstration is scheduled to run through February 2027. Following its completion, expansion to other coastal areas in Jamaica and across the Caribbean is expected to be considered, with the aim of integrating the use of satellite data into government operations.