24/05/2023
The Rainforest XPrize | Alana seeks to map biodiversity. In its semifinal stage, in Singapore, 13 teams will test different technologies for this. In the end, the prize will deliver 10 million dollars to the winners. Understand why it is important for our survival on the planet to know the variety of living beings that inhabit tropical forests.
How many types of plants, animals and microorganisms do you imagine exist on the planet? That number, to this day, has not been discovered! So far, scientists have managed to catalog around 1.5 million species, but much remains to be known.
To collaborate with this great challenge for humanity, the Alana Foundation is sponsoring the XPrize Rainforest | Alana: a worldwide competition to develop new technologies that will help map the biodiversity of tropical forests.
Discovering and protecting the immense variety of plants, animals and microorganisms that exist in these forests is essential for the survival of humanity. The air we breathe, the food we eat and the medicines that cure us, among many other elements, depend on preserving this biodiversity and its habitats. That, in addition to millions of possibilities that we haven’t even discovered yet: in the forests lie the answers to questions we haven’t even asked yet!
The prize worth of 10 million dollars lasts for 5 years and encourages teams to develop autonomous solutions and technologies to map the biodiversity of the world’s tropical forests. To win the competition, a team will need to research the greatest biodiversity contained within 100 hectares of rainforest in 24 hours and provide the most impactful insights in 48 hours.
Of the 25 teams initially registered, 13 were selected for the semifinals and will meet today in Singapore. The proximity of tropical forests allied to the city’s resources will be essential to carry out the first tests of the technologies, which must be expandable and accessible.
Successful teams in the semifinals will move on to test their technologies in a remote location with fewer resources. The Rainforest XPrize | Alana benefits not only Brazil, which has the largest rainforest in the world, but also 9 other countries in Latin America, Africa and Asia. Mapping tropical forests’ biodiversity is important to create more opportunities for all.
“Now is the time to make bold investments in conserving our planet’s biodiversity and supporting our indigenous and local communities. The award will generate critical data and knowledge for the preservation of our rainforests, their culture and people, which is essential to stabilize the Earth’s climate,” said Ana Lúcia Villela, founder and president of Alana Foundation.
