The UK government has launched a new initiative to map and monitor the Cayman Islands’ terrestrial habitats using advanced Earth observation technology.
The project was announced by the Joint Nature Conservation Committee (JNCC) in a report published on its website on 7 January.
Funded by Darwin Plus, it aims to strengthen biodiversity protection amid pressures from development and climate change.
It equips the Cayman Islands Department of Environment (DoE) with the skills and tools for routine habitat assessments, including baseline mapping and vegetation condition tracking.
The initiative adapts Natural England’s ‘Living Maps’ approach, using Sentinel-1 and Sentinel-2 satellite data, machine learning and field validation.
These methods will be used to map habitats such as dry forests, mangroves, shrublands and wetlands.
Key partners include JNCC as the lead agency, the DoE for local expertise and Natural England for technical advice.
Outcomes by the project’s end in 2028 include integrated mapping systems for evidence-based conservation and improved reporting for international commitments like the Convention on Biological Diversity.
The project also builds the DoE’s capacity through training in R-based workflows and the testing of tools like eCognition for landscape segmentation.
This proof-of-concept could eventually scale to other UK overseas territories, supporting the UK government’s Environmental Improvement Plan.
