Amazonian Communities and AI Join Forces to Protect Rainforest Biodiversity

Tradition Meets AI as Leicester Scientists Tackle Amazonian Biodiversity Crisis

Scientists at the University of Leicester are developing an AI-driven digital toolkit to support traditional Amazonian communities in monitoring biodiversity across the world’s largest tropical rainforest. This initiative aims to help these communities maintain socio-biodiversity and engage with the bioeconomy on their own terms.

The project, led by the University’s School of Geography, Geology and the Environment alongside the Institute of Environmental Futures, addresses urgent social-biodiversity and climate challenges facing the Amazon. Social biodiversity highlights the critical role of people—especially traditional communities—in sustaining ecosystems.

Project Overview

Supported by UK Research and Innovation (UKRI) with a £950,000 grant, this initiative is part of the UKRI-CNPq Amazon+10 programme. The research team includes experts from Brazil and the UK, led by Dr Ben Coles. Their goal is to reshape conservation and sustainable development strategies in this ecologically vital region.

Roughly 70 million people live in the Amazon basin, about 40% of whom depend on forest resources for their livelihoods. Unlike large-scale agriculture or ranching, traditional communities rely on intimate knowledge of their territories’ flora, fauna, and ecological processes.

Community-Led AI Monitoring

The project spans nine communities across Pará, Amazonas, and Maranhão states in the Legal Amazon. Researchers work closely with local people to build an AI platform that inventories traditional knowledge of biodiversity. This platform will train communities in digital and AI-based biodiversity monitoring.

By scientifically validating traditional practices and linking them with global scientific databases, the toolkit helps communities retain control over their ecological knowledge and territories. This approach supports environmental stewardship while empowering locals to engage with policymakers and markets based on their expertise.

Collaboration and Impact

The project involves NGOs and policymakers to promote justice, equity, and long-term sustainability. The AI system integrates community knowledge on flora, fauna, and ecosystem dynamics with scientific data, contributing to conservation efforts.

Dr Coles collaborates with Professor Nirvia Ravena from the Federal University of Para and partners from nine other institutions in Brazil. The project, titled “Participatory monitoring of traditional territories: digital platform for co-production of data on socio-biodiversity in Amazonian areas,” runs until mid-2028.

Addressing Urgent Environmental Threats

The Amazon faces severe threats from deforestation, climate change, and political conflict. This project offers a timely approach to supporting resilience and transformation by combining traditional knowledge with AI technology.

Dr Ben Coles notes: “The Amazon’s a big place. This project is a crucial step to better understand the region’s complex social and ecological dynamics. We want to enable traditional communities to maintain control over their resources and territories, which are vital for ecological and social sustainability. It’s about making science more relevant to those who live in and depend on the forest, while protecting the Amazon for the future.”

About the University of Leicester

The University of Leicester is recognized as the Daily Mail University of the Year 2025 and was shortlisted for University of the Year in both the Times Higher Education Awards 2024 and the Times and Sunday Times Good University Guide 2025. It is an international centre for research and innovation, ranking among the Top 30 universities in the Times Higher Education Research Excellence Framework 2021, with 89% of research rated world-leading or internationally excellent.

The University holds a Gold rating in the 2023 Teaching Excellence Framework and supports over 20,000 students and 4,000 staff. Its commitment to impactful research and broadening access to education makes it a key player in tackling global environmental challenges.

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