The Crucial Role of Technology in Environmental Protection

[Singapore, 12 July, 2022] On 23 June 2022, Huawei held its very first Tech4City Community event, under the theme of Nature. Titled, "The Crucial Role of Technology in Environmental Protection", the event brought together a group of distinguished industry experts, including Professor Lam Khee Poh, Provost's Chair Professor of Architecture and Built Environment, National University of Singapore (NUS); Ms Roopali Raghavan, Head, Terrestrial Species and Conservation Planning, Mandai Nature; Mr Royston Liew, CEO of Amplefresh Pte Ltd and Mr Terry Gao, Managing Director, Huawei Digital Power Singapore.

This community event was held in conjunction with Huawei’s Tech4City Competition to inspire participants with how they can combine technology to help protect nature, as they work towards building a stronger more sustainable Singapore. Participants at the community event also had the opportunity to network with industry experts and bond with other like-minded team members.

The event began with speeches from four esteemed speakers who shared their perspectives and recommendations on how technology supports and enhances the coexistence between mankind and nature.

The session covered the following topics:

1.1 Symbiosis – the ultimate challenge in a tech-enhanced habitat Speaker: Professor Lam Khee Poh, Provost's Chair Professor of Architecture and Built Environment, National University of Singapore (NUS)

In his speech, Prof Lam shared an overview of symbiosis and how it is formed through interaction between different living organisms living in close physical association, including mutualism, commensalism, and parasitism and how it can be beneficial or harmful to one another. Understanding this within the larger ecological context is critical for the successful deployment of advanced technology to enhance various facets of human life.

At the end of his speech, Prof Lam also shared some tips with the participants, telling them to approach their project holistically; to think about potential climate issues the country might face to build a greener city for the community.

“A fundamental understanding and appreciation of the natural symbiotic relations among species and their interactions within our habitat in an ecologically sustainable way is critical in order to deploy technology in an effectively enhancing way,” said Prof Lam.

1.2 Conservation – the rise of technology in saving wildlife and wild places Speaker: Ms Roopali Raghavan, Head, Terrestrial Species and Conservation Planning, Mandai Nature

“With a million species at risk of extinction, we need to harness technology to help us protect these species, by helping us to understand their location and behaviour, by enabling the protection of their habitats, and by monitoring the sustainable use of natural resources,” said Roopali.

During her speech, Roopali also shared how technology has played a big role in wildlife conservation and ecosystem protection. Equipment such as camera traps and acoustic recording devices have helped field researchers and conservationists like her collect data and information from inaccessible places so that they are able to analyse and understand the animal habitat requirements, identify its behaviour patterns and threats.

Incorporating technology has always been a challenge in species conservation. However, Roopali hopes that with Artificial Intelligence (AI) solutions, wildlife biologists will be able to analyse all the information, images and data collected that will help them better categorise different threatened species and their conservation needs.

1.3 Innovation – a key ingredient to develop technologies towards a sustainable future Speaker: Mr Royston Liew, CEO of Amplefresh Pte Ltd

Royston views the current global climate issues such as carbon emissions as an opportunity for change. He further explained that the Tech4City Competition is an excellent platform for participants to think outside the box and develop tech solutions that can help lower carbon emissions, especially in Singapore. In his speech, Royston also shared that each participant must understand the fundamentals and root causes before coming up with innovative solutions.

"As we continue to embrace digitalisation, one important thing to note is that innovation is key. As future leaders, we must know that every action has consequences. It is time to change our mindset and start thinking differently by turning a problem into an opportunity," said Royston.

1.4 Huawei Digital Power – building a low carbon smart society Speaker: Mr Terry Gao, Managing Director, Huawei Digital Power Singapore

It is without doubt that one of the most severe problems of the modern world is climate change, which poses significant consequences to the environment. Carbon neutrality has become a globally acknowledged mission. Over the past year, we have seen significant increase in carbon emissions due to higher power consumption. However, new renewable energy sources such as solar panels will gradually replace fossil fuels. As a leading global provider of digital power products and solutions, Huawei is committed to integrating digital and powering technology by developing clean power and enabling energy digitisation to drive energy revolution for a better, greener future.

"By the end of 2021, we have helped customers generate 482.9 billion kWh of green power and save about 14.2 billion kWh of electricity. These efforts have resulted in a reduction of nearly 230 million tons in CO2 emissions, equivalent to planting 320 million trees. Like many nations across the globe, Singapore has outlined its future roadmap towards net-zero emissions, and Huawei’s commitment to energy transformation will play a pivotal role,” said Terry.

Tech4City Community Event (Culture): The Power of Technology in Promoting Our Vibrant Culture

As a city with a melting pot of culture, Singapore is known for its diversity in race, religion, ethnicity, and food. While many Singaporeans continue to bond over their favorite pastime fondly known as a ‘makan-session’, it has become equally important to elevate the richness of Singapore’s diversity through technological means.

How can we use technology to integrate Singapore's rich cultural elements, bringing historical sites and folk traditions to life? In the post-pandemic era, how can we leverage technology to promote our vibrant city to the rest of the world and attract more tourists?

In the July edition of Huawei Tech4City Community event, distinguished speakers from academia, industry, and the community will discuss and share insights on the preservation and enhancement of intangible cultural aspects with technology. Sign up here: https://forms.gle/phzZCymwT9gnMfX3A.

Huawei’s commitment and support of Singapore’s sustainable development has seen the company partnering with Business China, National University of Singapore Enterprise, NUS Business School, SMU College of Integrative Studies (CIS), and Singapore University of Technology and Design (SUTD) over the years. Through the Tech4City competition and community events, Huawei aims to bring digital to every person, home and organization for a fully connected, intelligent world.

For more details about the Huawei Tech4City Competition and how to sign up, please click here: https://www.agorize.com/challenges/huaweitech4city.