IoT - The Gen-Z road to sustainable development and environmental conservation

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Introduction 
The youngest generation with adult members - Gen-Z is known for its emphasis on environmental concern and social equity. The present cohort of tech professionals has its own way of tackling the challenges posed by our growing impact on the natural world and the concept of Internet of Things is emerging as a useful solution to the environmental problem.

 Use of IoT to promote environmental conservation and sustainable development

IoT being the network of interrelated devices, allows these devices (called ‘things’) to share and manage data with multiple other devices or the host. Its ability to let machines complete their designated tasks with the least human intervention making it ideal for employment to collect and compare data from our physical environment.


Sensors and other interactive devices when connected over IoT, can efficiently detect temperature, moisture, water levels and leaks etc. and generate vast amounts of data for analysis or trigger alerts via text or email in case of any anomaly.

Tech-giants like Google (Google earth engine) and Microsoft (Microsoft planetary computer) have already established their own environmental monitoring systems which make use of satellite imagery to provide access to a massive amount of data for environmental analysis.
Such environmental monitoring systems can also be established in more specific areas like industrial establishments and city centres to keep an eye on pollution and energy consumption levels, using IoT models.


   Time lapse of over four decades of change in forest cover and topography in the state of Assam, India (Source- Google earth engine)

Some existing IoT projects -
  1. Smart Air Pollution monitoring systems
Using sensors that can detect gases, humidity and temperature, its ability to store the generated data for further applications gives it an edge over the traditional systems.

     2.  IoT based Weather Reporting Systems 

The main aim of this system is to extract data from environments like polar zones and volcanoes which are generally inaccessible to humans. It also contains an alert system in case the readings exceed the pre-set threshold values.

    3.  IoT based Smart Agriculture Systems 

Its main task is to automate the farming process and monitor tasks like irrigation and use of pesticides. The drone technology has proven to be of great use in automating tasks and monitoring real-time conditions of the field.





Some unique ideas that make use of IoT to address some specific environmental issues and promote sustainability-

1. IoT device for reduction of Roe deer fawn mortality during hay making 
Involves intermittent emission of audio-visual disturbances during nights to reduce attractiveness of affected meadow to avoid killing of deer fawns vulnerable to mowing machines during hay making season.

2. Low cost monitoring beehive system using wireless sensor network 
A system specifically designed for precision beekeeping, making use of sensors to remotely track humidity, temperature and weight. It is also equipped with a system to send data from the hive directly to online hosts.

3. AI and IoT enabled hydroponic grow tents to assist subsistence farmers in South Africa 
A cost effective nutrient film technique (NFT) based IoT and AI enabled grow tent hydroponic system to tackle the consequences of erratic weather conditions faced by subsistence farmers in South Africa due global warming.

4. IoT enabled bird-feeders with a text alert system to schedule refilling 
This IoT based project not only notifies the user when it’s time for refilling but is also loaded with cameras and sound recognition systems to keep a record of the various bird species that visit the feeder to have a snack.

5. IoT based connected composter that analyses perfect conditions for composting 
This smart composter loaded with different types of sensors allows the user to create the perfect conditions for composting and also keeps a track of time taken by the process to complete.

Conclusion-

The millennials laid the groundwork for IoT and have passed the baton to Gen-Z, through its innovative perspectives and an inclination towards environmental conservation, this era has seen  a surge in the application of Internet of Things to the domain of environmental and sustainable development. The field of IoT is likely to find more innovative applications for the conservation of ecosystems and maintaining healthy subsistence in the coming years.

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# Sources and reference-
  • IoT for beginners - by Vibha Soni, bpb publications 
  • For unique ideas based on IoT - research papers available at-
  • Paper on IoT device for reduction of Roe deer fawn mortality during hay making - click here 
  • Paper on AI and IoT enabled hydroponic grow tents to assist subsistence farmers in South Africa - click here
Please comment your views on the post and help me rectify the errors if any 🙏

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