The iCarbono project, led by the Polytechnic Institute of Bragança and financed by the “Promove – Regiões Fronteiriças” program, is being developed across the NUTS III regions of Alto Tâmega, Terras de Trás-os-Montes, and Douro. iCarbono aims to establish an intelligent system to monitor carbon sequestration, storage, and emissions at several scales. Crucially, the system is designed to alert stakeholders to critical situations in territorial planning where deviations from technical or political objectives are observed.
The project demonstrates versatility by addressing three fundamental dimensions: transboundary ecosystems, the implementation of monitoring systems in extensive forest areas, and the integration of digital, robotics, and Artificial Intelligence (AI) technologies. This approach facilitates the deployment of the system in cross-border pilot regions, creating monitoring modules that promptly flag deviations from the path to carbon neutrality by 2050.
Technically, the iCarbono initiative use cutting-edge tools such as Unmanned Aerial Vehicles, multi- and hyperspectral cameras, LIDAR sensors, and AI algorithms. These tools play a critical role in data acquisition and analysis, enabling the real-time quantification of Above-Ground Biomass (AGB) and the accurate estimation of carbon sequestration.
Furthermore, iCarbono contributes directly to the objectives outlined in the Roadmap to Carbon Neutrality 2050 by actively involving society in the collective effort against climate change. The collected data is processed using sophisticated AI algorithms to ensure the dissemination of timely, actionable information to both policymakers and the general public.
Contacts:
José Lima: jllima@ipb.pt
Ana Pereira: apereira@ipb.pt