Bhutan has launched a nationwide drone surveillance system to monitor its forest cover and protect biodiversity hotspots. The drones, equipped with infrared cameras and AI analysis, will track illegal logging and forest fires in real time.
The system, operated by the Department of Forests and Park Services, was launched in partnership with a Netherlands-based environmental NGO. Bhutan’s forest cover exceeds 70%, and this tech-forward move is designed to keep it that way.
The project holds value for India’s Northeast and parts of Nepal, where cross-border forest crime is a growing issue and real-time monitoring remains limited.
