What did you develop?

The 404 ERROR team is tackling the challenge HOME PLANET AT YOUR FINGERTIPS, in the OBSERVE category in which an App is developed that relates citizens with the scientific community in real time, for the construction of predictive models using artificial intelligence.

Why is important?

It is important because it collects data at different scales, from different events that can be problematic for the environment. In addition, it has an ecological utility, since different organizations could share their local problems, allowing the exchange of information and solutions with other entities with similar problems. The general public, those without any kind of knowledge on the subject, could learn in a simple and didactic way, the different problems that affect their communities and communities around the globe. The bases can be used by different research groups from different disciplines and even in an interdisciplinary way. This data is publicly accessible, so anyone could analyze it and share it with others.

What does it do?

This tool allows us to visualize environmental problems on a global scale and how these events could affect different ecosystems in the future. Although it is not the first App that allows the community to be involved as co-participants in the monitoring of the planet, it has the possibility of being able to distinguish between a simple user, a student or a researcher, in addition to standing out based on their participation in it . The possibilities offered by this application are unlimited, because it is the user who creates the different categories of what he observes and shares in the application.

How does it work?

Trouble is an application that facilitates the visualization of the problems through a simple interface, where a map and GPS locations generated are shown when and where users share what they consider harmful to the environment, there is also an option that allows uploading an image in 360 degrees of the monitoring area as a visual record, in addition the user will be able to make a brief description of 140 characters about what they observe.

The App will have "Alerts", these would fulfill the function of notifications and show the alerts close to the user, in it the registered event will be displayed accompanied by a short text (maximum 140 characters) where the user describes what was observed. Over time, if these alerts are reported very frequently in a delimited area, a news item based on the alert will be generated.

All the news appears in the "News" section. This section shows the most reported alerts at different scales and / or that may have a significant impact on the environment. The news is categorized on a scale based on the degree of impact:

1. Local news: this category shows the most frequently reported alerts in the vicinity or whose impact is considered to be on a local scale. Example: Pollution of the Negro River, Patagonia Argentina. Macchi, P. M. (2020). Biomonitoring of Freshwater. Food & Environmental Protection Newsletter, 28-29. 

https://www-pub.iaea.org/MTCD/Publications/PDF/Newsletters/fep-23-2.pdf  

1. Regional news: this category shows the news whose impact is considered on a regional scale. Example: The invasion of the beaver in Tierra del Fuego: a threat to the forest industry and conservation 

https://www.argentinaforestal.com/2020/06/09/la-invasion-del-castor-en-tierra-del-fuego-una-amenaza-para-la-industria-forestal-y-la-conservacion/ 

1. National news: this category shows the news whose impact is considered on a national scale. Example: 4 SERIOUS causes of pollution in Argentina https://www.contaminacionx.com/contaminacion-argentina-buenos-aires/
2. International news: this category shows the news whose impact is considered to be on an international scale, even if the group of alerts that gave rise to the news were on a local scale. An “International News” can also originate if the same category of events is reported very frequently around the globe. Example: A plague of locusts passes through the north of Argentina and threatens to reach Brazil https://news.un.org/es/story/2020/06/1476682. 

Also, there will be access to scientific organization databases, for example: 

1. Currently NASA, in collaboration with Earth Observatory, calculated that by 2050 there will be more plastic than fish in the ocean https://science.nasa.gov/researchers/volunteer-review-panels/physical-oceanography-program-po
2. Reconstructions of terrestrial climate chages from february 2000 to july 2020 and another reconstructions based on vegetation distribution, snow cover, others https://earthobservatory.nasa.gov/global-maps/MOD_LSTD_M
3. Satellite observation shows that, from 1998 to 2012, an significant loss in phytoplankton populations was observed in North Pacific, North Indian and Equatorial Indian oceans

https://www.nasa.gov/feature/goddard/nasa-study-shows-oceanic-phytoplankton-declines-in-northern-hemisphere

What do you hope to achieve in the short term?

It is expected to create an application of simple use, capable of generating extensive databases of different events and, with the help of these databases, generate public policies that combat these problems, this would benefit nearby communities, improving the quality of life of people and the ecosystem in general.

What is expected in the future?

In a later phase of the project and, based on the data stored in the cloud that were shared by the community and scientific entities such as CONAE, NASA, among others, predictive models of environmental impact could be generated with the help of an Intelligence Artificial and a team of analysts. Based on these generated models, large-scale “environmental remediation” projects could be planned in a relatively short time, since there will be large databases. These policies could be generated in collaboration between various organizations and even nations. This could be carried out if there is a social and political commitment that promotes the use of the application through the educational, scientific and technological communities. It is in this way that it is hoped to reach as many people as possible. Collaboration between communities and governments makes it possible to combat problems on a national, regional and global scale.