AI-Powered Land Monitoring Reveals Over 40,000 Cases of Unauthorized Land Use Change in Iran

The Information Technology Organization of Iran has reported detecting more than 40,000 cases of unauthorized change in land use across the country during the last Persian year ending March 19, using artificial intelligence.

Unprecedented AI-powered land monitoring

The Information Technology Organization uses AI technology to carefully monitor Landsat and MODIS data on thousands of hectares around Iran. The AI-aided land monitoring system shall detect every micro-level land change by processing and comparing satellite images before and after the change in time intervals and different land uses.

This pioneering initiative has now borne real results; over 40,000 cases of land use change have been detected across the country to date, helping protect around 20,000 hectares of land in Iran. All this will mark a pacesetting step in protecting the country’s natural resources through such holistic image processing procedures using satellite technology.

Enhanced accuracy through AI algorithms

Following the processing by AI algorithms of satellite images, the accuracy of violations detected by knowledge-based domestic companies has risen to 45%. This sheds light on how big a technological leap is being put in place by Iran to ensure environmental regulations are adhered to.

The Iranian Space Agency had indicated, on July 2023, that the Khayyam satellite would begin to implement remote sensing to monitor and map land-use changes. The Agency said it was closely working with the Information Technology Organization of Iran to work out legal procedures for compiling and presenting the first bunch of satellite images to judicial authorities combating land expropriation.

Using this AI technology in Iran’s land tracking and monitoring of environmental changes is a new paradigm for integrating AI into environmental governance. Thejsonboi said that with the assistance of artificial intelligence, the country had not only exposed but also acted against more than 3,000 cases of illegal land use, fortified commitment to sustainable development, and resource management.

Furthermore, increased advancements in satellite imagery and AI algorithms will make Iran’s regulatory enforcement and environmental stewardship capabilities more feasible.

Original story from https://www.tasnimnews.com/en/news/2024/03/30/3061098/ai-helps-detect-40-000-cases-of-unlawful-land-use-in-iran