Dhiraagu and the United Nations Development Programme (UNDP) Maldives have donated three drones to Addu City Council to collect information on the natural environment in the islands using advanced drone technology and artificial intelligence. The drones were donated during an inauguration ceremony held for the Drones for Resilience Programme.
The aim of the programme was to promote the usage of drone technology for disaster-resilient local planning in the Maldives. The programme provided training on the use of drones and how to collect information and data using them. A total of 30 participants have been trained in the programme. Among them, the Maldivian Red Crescent (MRC), representatives from the Addu City Council and volunteers were trained in the programme.
Speaking at the closing ceremony of the programme, Minister of Environment, Climate Change and Technology Aminath Shauna said planning using emerging technologies in the field of adaptation is also the main strategy to overcome climate change. She said opportunities for technologies such as drones and artificial intelligence are now available.
Furthermore, Minister Shauna said that the information related to the environment of the Maldives is very important and it is crucial that the information obtained is published in a public manner instead of being used only for government purposes.