Like forests, wetlands are critical to global health and are sometimes referred to as the planet's lungs. They provide more than just oxygen and carbon sequestration; these vital ecosystems also supply clean drinking water, act as massive carbon sinks, and shelter 40% of all species, making them essential for biodiversity.
While wetlands comprise about 5.9% of Chile's national territory, their survival is severely threatened. As is true globally, their rapid decline is driven by anthropogenic factors, environmental contamination, and accelerated climate change. These combined threats have resulted in the loss of nearly 60% of these ecosystems globally in the past one hundred years, surpassing the impact of current conservation measures.
In direct response to this decline, the University of Santiago de Chile launched the Fondef project ECO-H. Led by Dr. Juan Carlos Travieso of the Faculty of Technology, the project is officially titled: “Research and development of ECO-H: Module for diagnosis, timely prediction, and real-time visualization of the overall health of wetlands.” This initiative aims to provide essential technological tools for wetland preservation.
Crucial support for the project comes from Andes Electrónica, a provider of advanced technological monitoring systems. The initiative will also implement a pilot monitoring program at Laguna Carén, thanks to the administration of the Valle Lo Aguirre Foundation. Institutionally, the project is supported by the University's Vice-Rector's Office for Research, Innovation, and Creation (VRIIC), which collaborates with the Technology Management Directorate and the Puente DGT program.
Dr. Juan Carlos Travieso summarizes the project's core output: "We will seek to develop a technological platform that can determine the current state of wetlands, predict future trends, and generate recommendations for their conservation or recovery." This statement clearly outlines the platform's comprehensive, three-pronged utility.
This tool will combine the use of historical satellite images, environmental data, and advanced algorithms to generate data analysis for each wetland. “In this way, it will be able to provide agile diagnoses, reliable predictions, and early warnings, projecting scenarios and proposing concrete management measures for the protection or recovery of the site,” explains the researcher.
Innovation in Data Analysis
The project will last two years and will draw on the expertise of the Usach Laboratory for Maintainability and Reliability, which specializes in the study of global solutions through optimal and robust adaptive control of dynamic systems. Its implementation will be supported by the company Andes Electrónica.
One of the main advances sought will be its online analysis capability. According to Dr. Travieso, although there are wetland monitoring programs, the information collected rarely translates into useful knowledge for management and decision-making.
"Currently, studies are slow; expert panels in litigation contexts can take three to six months to issue a report," the academic points out. "With this new technology, we aim to provide agile and predictive diagnostics that give early warning of ecosystem changes." This marks a significant shift from reactive studies to proactive conservation.
Expected Impact
Once developed, the prototype will be deployed at Laguna Carén in the Metropolitan Region, an area known for its rich bird biodiversity. The project intends to scale the technology nationally to bolster the protection of various wetland types across the country. Future plans include extending its application to international wetlands.
He explains the project's unique value: "While Chile already has a wetland inventory—simply a registry of bodies of water—we propose to implement a comprehensive system." This system will assess health, anticipate scenarios, and recommend concrete restoration or conservation measures, thereby streamlining decision-making.
"This R&D project is a demonstration of how Usach is reaffirming its commitment to applied science," the researcher concludes. The goal is to provide "concrete technological solutions to address one of the world's most urgent challenges: the preservation of its water ecosystems."