Use to guard our forests

What if the future of forests depends on AI?

THINK about the last time you looked at a tree, not just noticed it, but really, observed it carefully.

Chances are, while we’ve all been busy navigating our lives, the very thing helping you breathe easier has been quietly disappearing.

If you’ve ever stepped from a sun-baked pavement into the shade of a tree and felt instant relief, you’ve experienced what scientists call the “urban cooling effect.” Cities can be several degrees hotter than surrounding areas because of all the concrete, glass and asphalt. Trees combat that — naturally and beautifully.

Sadly, urban greenery has become a silent casualty of development. Trees — once thriving, towering guardians of our cities — are now under siege. Cut down, dried up, or simply forgotten.

And while we’re all aware of climate change in a headline sense, we rarely talk about the slow fade of the green lungs around us.

Deforestation is no longer shocking, driven by agriculture, land development and urbanisation. While forests still cover about 28% of the world’s land, it is fast disappearing.

The US Food and Agricultural Organisation said since 1990, the world has lost more than 420 million hectares of forest. The lack of trees and forests does not only impact wildlife, but has a ripple effect that cuts across almost every aspect of life today.

We talk a lot about cities getting smarter, artificial intelligence (AI) and technology in everything. So might there be a way for technology to be utilised to counter this problem?

Combatting this quiet crisis

Over the past few years, tech has quietly begun to shift from being part of the problem to part of the solution. AI, big data and satellite mapping are now being used to monitor illegal logging, assess forest health, and even predict where deforestation is likely to happen.

 

Here’s the catch: maintaining healthy urban forests is hard. Trees get old, sick or damaged. Cities expand. Budgets get cut.

Adding to this, urban authorities use outdated maps and manual inspections to manage trees.

Cue AI, remote sensing, 3D tree models and intuitive dashboards.

The result? All at once, trees have data profiles: trunk diameter, crown width, carbon stock — the works.

Just like a fitness tracker for your neighbourhood park.

This is why the Smart Urban Forestry Platform is giving our forests a digital voice.

Developed by Telekom Research & Development Sdn Bhd in partnership with Credence and expert teams from the Centre of Excellence for Robotics & Sensing Technologies, Centre of Excellence for Artificial Intelligence and Centre of Excellence for Advanced Cloud, the platform came about because of one simple statement – caring for the green life that cares for us.

Through a collaborative effort involving researchers, tech experts and Forest Research Institute Malaysia (FRIM) arborists, the Smart Urban Forestry Platform was developed to address gaps in urban tree data, inventory and visual insights.

Simply put, data is collected from trees and used with insight, precision and foresight.

Using data visualisation tools, one can collate data from a single tree, track any kind of changes, intervene if needed, all while creating support and management plans.

Isn’t that a fantastic way to care for the green around us?

What I appreciate most is how this platform doesn’t treat nature as a separate issue. It integrates it into city planning, carbon trading, even smart city ecosystems. Here, trees are no longer just landscaping, but more interestingly, the platform folds nature into mechanisms that turn forests and trees into measurable assets. This gives it so much more value!

The platform manages what we already have, so while planting more trees is always a wonderful effort, looking after the ones we have at the moment is an even better option.

Can tech alone save nature? Of course not. It’s a tool — not a miracle. But when used wisely, it’s a powerful one.

Soon, you’ll be able to report damaged trees or spotlight your local “green heroes” from your phone.

Let’s face it. Environmental protection shouldn’t be limited to experts in field jackets.

It should include all of us — the commuters, the joggers, the kids playing under those very trees!

No trees, no shade, no clean air

Are wondering why does it matter at all? Should we even care at all? Yes, most definitely!

I posit that urban forestry needs to be treated as a critical investment, not an optional beautification project.

It needs funding, tech, and policy support. It needs to be factored into every city blueprint — not planted as an afterthought once the roads and buildings are done.

Lately, it has been flooding in many parts of the world. Where sudden downpours and flash floods are becoming the norm, trees are frontline defenders — especially when cities are over-paved and under-planned.

And what about the recent heatwave hitting so many states in the country? Having trees and healthy ones can provide shade to not only us humans but animals as well.

Then there’s air quality. Our cities are filled with exhaust fumes, construction dust and the tiny invisible particles that can cause serious health conditions. Trees absorb carbon dioxide and trap pollutants, quietly filtering the air while we go about our lives.

Urban forestry isn’t just about pretty parks or adding a few potted plants to make a place look nice.

It’s about survival, quality of life, and the long game of climate resilience. The trees in our cities aren’t just décor — they’re infrastructure.

The challenges facing urban forestry today are far too complex for manual solutions alone. That’s why technology isn’t just helpful; it’s essential.

With AI, remote sensing, and data analytics, we can understand our urban forests in real time, respond faster, plan smarter, and make every tree count.

It’s not about replacing nature with machines — it’s about using machines to protect what we can’t afford to lose.

But if we’re serious about restoring balance between growth and green, maybe it’s also the redemption arc the planet desperately needs.

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This article was first published in the StarBiz 7, Issue Aug 9 2025: As good as the deal gets

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