Kuva Space Partners with WWF-Indonesia to Bring Hyperspectral Satellite Technology to Blue Carbon Verification and Sustainable Financing

Kuva Space, empowering decision-makers with actionable planetary intelligence through innovative space and AI technology, led by Jarkko Antila, Jerry Welsh, Tuomas Tikka, and others, has partnered with the WWF-Indonesia (WWF-Indonesia) to launch an initiative that uses satellite data and AI to monitor and quantify Indonesia’s vast blue carbon assets.

The collaboration will map seagrass and mangrove habitats in East Nusa Tenggara and East Kalimantan, creating scalable data for blue carbon accounting, policy planning, and sustainable finance that can be replicated globally.

The blue carbon market, focused on conserving mangroves, seagrasses, and salt marshes, is growing as governments and investors recognize its climate impact. Currently, around 0.91% of voluntary carbon credits, advances in remote sensing, carbon accounting, and monitoring are improving transparency, verification, and valuation, which are essential for scaling sustainable finance.

Dr. Imam Musthofa Zainudin of WWF-Indonesia noted that AI and hyperspectral technology enable accurate, cost-effective monitoring of mangroves and seagrasses, supporting conservation and verified blue carbon credits for local communities.

Augustinus Frumentius Harudabawur, Head of the Alor Waters MPA Technical Management Unit, welcomed the WWF-Indonesia and Kuva Space collaboration. He noted that hyperspectral monitoring will enhance seagrass and mangrove management, improve conservation science, and enable blue finance mechanisms that directly benefit Alor’s coastal communities, aligning with East Nusa Tenggara’s vision for sustainable development.

Kuva Space uses hyperspectral imaging and AI to deliver precise insights on ecosystem health, species, biomass, and carbon sequestration, key for blue carbon verification and sustainable finance. The WWF-Indonesia collaboration expands access to actionable space-based climate data for governments, NGOs, and industry.

Jarkko Antila, CEO of Kuva Space, said traditional blue carbon monitoring is slow and limited. Using spaceborne and AI tools, ecosystems can now be tracked with greater accuracy and scale, providing near real-time insights that support transparency, equitable pricing, and sustainable finance. The WWF-Indonesia collaboration demonstrates how global-local partnerships can advance sustainable environmental finance.

Indonesia contains about one-fifth of the world’s mangroves, a major blue carbon reserve, but only half remain in high-quality condition. Seagrass ecosystems face similar threats from pollution, sedimentation, and coastal development.

By combining Kuva Space’s climate technology with WWF-Indonesia’s local expertise, the project will enable cost-effective, verifiable monitoring of critical ecosystems, boost transparency, and standardize methodologies. It supports Indonesia’s blue carbon market, national climate targets, and blue economy growth, while aiding priority programs of the Ministry of Marine Affairs and Fisheries and East Nusa Tenggara’s provincial government.