Exploring the role of cloud computing in environment monitoring

After a two-year study, The Lancet Commission revealed that more than 9 million people die each year from global pollution. Environmental hazards are putting one out of every 6 people and our complex ecological systems at risk. 

How do we begin to reverse those numbers? Today, cloud computing-based environmental monitoring and clean technology can support the detection of noxious substances, chemical spills, harmful pollutants and more, enabling governments and industries to clean and protect our air, soil, and water. Taking these steps is imperative as the population increases, along with our carbon footprint, and we continue to see the damaging effects of climate change. 

So how can cloud computing help the environment? The answer is in the deployment of sensors, cloud computing infrastructure, remote connectivity, and edge computing to support rapid detection, reporting, data insights, and remediation. 

Cloud Computing for Environmental Monitoring:

Essential Components Because environmental monitoring using cloud computing provides data in real-time, operations and IT managers can proactively keep tabs on their equipment and processes regardless of their location. There are four essential components for cloud computing-based environmental monitoring to support critical insights and decision making: 

Monitor the Environment: Environmental condition monitors across fields, industrial sites and water management systems require installed sensors as well as an information delivery system, such as Digi XBee wireless communication modules and sensor connectivity gateways. These connected devices gather and deliver critical information exactly where it is needed. 

Measure Data: To measure environmental impact, these systems must make it possible to evaluate key data points that can indicate everything from water and chemical leaks to critical equipment failures. This data can be used by industrial operators and municipalities to measure their environmental footprint and take action to reduce waste, increase sustainability, manage valuable resources like water, and prevent environmental disasters. 

Catalog

Data: The massive amounts of data collected from environmental monitoring stations around the globe cannot be overstated. There are global databases that catalog an enormous range of environmental data, such as the Microsoft Planetary Computer. Industrial sites and other enterprises, similarly, must utilize cloud and data center storage to catalog the gathered data for accessibility by business applications. 

Provide Actionable Insights from the

Data and Analysis: The critical end game is actionable insights from data. Digi’s cloud computing solutions, integrated with cloud applications like Microsoft Azure and Amazon Web Services, deliver data into complex software systems that enable personnel to gain those insights, get alerts and notifications, and take action.