Using drones and data to drive impact

Drone technology is gaining popularity and momentum. Originally a technology developed to support military operations, drones now boast broad reach, used by children, adults and professionals alike for a range of artistic, educational and professional endeavours.

With their wide application in a range of industries and initiatives, the potential of drones cannot be underestimated. In 2013, Dr. Karen Joyce — scientist, educator and academic — recognised the opportunity. 

While on sabbatical at NASA, Joyce observed how drones were being used for monitoring during and after the Californian wildfires. What struck her most was the amount of data needed to map and monitor recovery but equally how difficult it was to manage, process, store, and share the drone and satellite data.

“This wasn’t a USA problem — it was a world problem. How did we not have a single source of truth to collect, collate and share such valuable data for fire, flood or even coastal erosion?” Joyce said. “Necessity, led to innovation.”

The seed was planted, and fast-forward to 2020, Joyce and her partner Paul Mead (with a background in military, government and consultancy), combined forces to build a new platform to house geospatial data. They named it GeoNadir. Geo meaning ‘earth’, and Nadir ‘looking down’.

Drones can be used to capture highly detailed observation data of different landscapes and environments, from the coral reefs of Queensland to the natural giants of the Victorian Otways.

GeoNadir provides a home for that data, allowing users to:

• have a secure space to store their data
• perform 3D analysis of terrain profiles
• automatically detect and map features of terrain to help track change
• contribute to a global repository to enhance and share observation insights, and
• share drone-mapping projects with others for stronger collaboration.

“We don’t want people or scientists keeping data in their drawer” says Joyce, this is about collective intelligence and collaboration for the good of climate resilience.

And the best part is that users are guided every step of the way with intuitive help guides, video demonstrations and now, a free and comprehensive online drone-mapping course, thanks to NRMA Insurance Help Fund.

“GeoNadir isn’t just for scientists, it’s for everyday users, from school kids to retirees” says Joyce. In fact, over 800 individuals, including students, Indigenous ranger groups and environmental volunteers have enrolled in the course to date, helping boost user confidence and capability.

“Thanks to Help Fund... Many people have already joined our free online drone training and mapping course, where they learn how to capture, process, and analyse drone mapping data to produce accurate maps and meaningful environmental insights.”

Most recently in January, GeoNadir ran a drone mapping course for the Coastal Councils Adaptation Taskforce (C-CAT), a taskforce comprising 5 Queensland councils working together to build coastal resilience and planning in response to climate change. The taskforce participants are now going to use their new skills to collect data before and after natural events to support areas requiring rehabilitation.

The NRMA Insurance Help Fund grant has also allowed GeoNadir to pay it forward, developing a package to help environmental focused groups in Australia get their projects up and running. 10 teams will benefit from the program, receiving a 12-month GeoNadir professional software licence to help map and monitor their local ecosystems.

The importance of collecting data is simple and succinctly expressed by Mead; “We collect data, because we want to be able to make decisions.” But at the same time, Mead acknowledges that the process can be messy and complex, and so there needs to be a mechanism in place to make it possible for people to more aptly track and manage our environmental assets.

The pertinent example is the state of the Great Barrier Reef. Together, Mead and Joyce described how drone footage was able to capture a mass bleaching event, in the northern part of the Great Barrier Reef. The data, which was captured and shared by an independent collaborator, was “devastating to look at.” But it allowed GeoNadir to replicate the independent collaborator’s findings, heading to the same location to be able to determine the recovery of this particular reef post the bleaching event. The results indicated that 97% of the area had been bleached, and 92% had subsequently died. It turned out to be one of the most comprehensive and spatially extensive analyses of bleaching in the area and eventually led to GeoNadir securing ongoing funding to support monitoring in the region. A massive win for arguably one of Australia’s most precious natural wonders.

The takeaway? Data wasn’t left to gather dust in a drawer. Through the GeoNadir platform, collaboration was able to facilitate real and immediate quantitative analysis of what was happening to help understand  what was required to make an impact. And you too, can be a part of it.

At NRMA Insurance, we have a long history of helping communities prepare for, recover from and adapt to extreme weather. Over the years, we’ve partnered with community organisations and worked with governments to champion improved disaster resilience. Help Fund reflects our most recent commitment to support climate resilience in Australia.

Help Fund supports emerging climate leaders, community-led resilience projects and innovative solutions focused on helping communities better prepare for the impacts of extreme weather.

To learn more about Help Fund recipients of the grants and other NRMA Insurance initiatives, head to NRMA Insurance Help Fund.