Protecting people and the planet with AI
Dr. Prashanth Marpu
CTO of Smart Solutions, Space42
From the food we eat to the air we breathe, the stability of our daily lives depends on the delicate balance of our natural and built environments. Protecting this balance requires new ways to observe and anticipate change, an area where AI and satellite technology play a transformative role. Advances in these tools provide continuous monitoring that supports early warning systems and mitigation efforts, enabling communities to address challenges proactively and adopt more sustainable ways of living and working.
This capability becomes increasingly vital as our world grows more interconnected. According to the Global Assessment Report (GAR) 2025, from the United Nations Office for Disaster Risk Reduction’s, global disaster-related losses now exceed $2.3 trillion annually when accounting for direct damage to physical assets, disruption of economic activity, and degradation of natural ecosystems. Beyond monetary losses, the human toll is staggering. In 2024 alone, natural hazard–related disasters affected more than 167.2 million people worldwide. This includes both immediate impacts and cascading, indirect effects that strain households, businesses, governments, and natural systems, thereby amplifying the overall economic and social burden.
This scale reflects both the increasing frequency of extreme events and the growing vulnerability of interconnected systems. The opportunity extends beyond immediate response to encompass a fundamental question: how can societies develop resilience by using advanced technologies that enable proactive stewardship of our shared environment?
The technical challenge centers on transforming vast quantities of Earth observation data into actionable intelligence within operationally relevant timeframes. Decision-makers across government, industry, and humanitarian sectors require analytical tools that process complex, multi-source information and deliver insights for strategic planning and operational excellence. This requirement drives Space42’s research and development into AI-powered geospatial analytics as a foundation for planetary monitoring and early warning systems that serve both environmental protection and human prosperity.
From data to intelligence
Earth observation satellites today are capable of generating petabytes of data daily, creating unprecedented opportunities to understand our planet’s dynamic systems. Yet this wealth of information often remains disconnected from the people and organizations who could benefit most. The gap between data collection and coordinated action represents both a challenge and an opportunity. Satellite imagery provides immense value when integrated with analysis and coordination mechanisms that help communities, businesses, and governments make informed decisions.
Space42 has developed an end-to-end solution addressing this connection. Our GIQ platform transforms multi-source satellite data into actionable intelligence through machine learning algorithms that identify environmental changes, track ecosystem health, and detect opportunities for sustainable development in real time. Intelligence is most powerful when paired with coordination, which is why our platform links analysis directly to decision-making through intuitive storytelling that delivers insights to diverse stakeholders.
GIQ operates across anticipation, response, and recovery phases, reducing coordination time from hours to minutes while supporting civilian emergency management, urban planning, and resource optimization. During responses to various disasters, GIQ processes infrastructure imagery through automated assessment and coordinated support through unified interfaces. The integrated approach demonstrated broader value during the UAE’s weather events in 2024, where GIQ’s modeling enabled advance preparation for both emergency response and planning, and support for coordinating real-time resource allocation across multiple sectors.
This dual-platform architecture illustrates how geospatial intelligence can be embedded within everyday decision-making, extending across emergency preparedness, commercial innovation, and environmental stewardship to create more resilient and sustainable communities.
Intelligence to action
Geospatial intelligence serves multiple communities, providing early warning for environmental challenges while simultaneously enabling commercial sectors to operate more efficiently with enhanced sustainability. GIQ’s continuous monitoring capabilities support precision agriculture through optimized irrigation and crop yield forecasting, helping farmers protect harvests, conserve water, and strengthen food security. These same capabilities enable oil and gas operations to reduce ecological impact through enhanced pipeline monitoring and site optimization, protecting both operational efficiency and surrounding ecosystems.
Applications extend naturally to smart city development and autonomous systems that improve daily life. Our collaboration with the Abu Dhabi Government’s TXAI project demonstrates how geospatial intelligence enables autonomous transportation networks, reducing commute times and emissions while making cities more livable. In logistics and construction, real-time monitoring supports precision planning and resource allocation, creating more efficient operations with smaller ecological footprints while reducing costs for businesses and consumers.
Long-term resilience benefits reach across sectors and generations. Our research partnership with the Environment Agency Abu Dhabi, OceanX, and M42 exemplifies this approach, where marine ecosystem monitoring provides intelligence for both conservation planning and sustainable economic development, protecting coastal communities while supporting tourism and fisheries.
Whether supporting national security requirements or commercial operations, these platforms transform reactive approaches into proactive strategies that build resilient, prosperous, and sustainable communities where families can thrive.
Looking ahead
Space42’s platforms function across diverse operational contexts, enabling both specialized analysts and field personnel to access intelligence through intuitive interfaces requiring domain knowledge rather than technical specialization. We measure success through outcomes that matter to people: community preparedness, infrastructure resilience, insights communication, and confidence in decisionmaking under pressure. These human-centered metrics guide our development more than purely technical performance indicators.
Our approach centers on augmenting human decision-making rather than replacing expertise, embedding geospatial intelligence within existing frameworks to enhance institutional capacity and strengthen communities. This philosophy aligns with Space42’s strategic focus on satellite technology, geospatial mapping, and AI as interconnected capabilities that address terrestrial challenges while advancing space-based economic opportunities for everyone.
We believe that by turning data into foresight, we can help build communities that are more connected, economies that are more resilient, and a planet that is more sustainable for generations to come. The path forward illuminates how protecting people and the planet converges through intelligent action. As we stand at the intersection of accelerating environmental pressures and expanding economic possibilities, the fusion of AI, satellite technology, and coordinated response systems offers humanity unprecedented capability to anticipate, adapt, and thrive together. Space42’s vision transforms this convergence into reality, where every satellite observation becomes a guardian for Earth’s communities and ecosystems, and every algorithm serves as a bridge between knowledge and decisive action that safeguards our shared future.