Chinese tech giant Huawei is using IoT technology to protect whale sharks in the Maldives from harmful interactions with tourists.

By deploying field-monitoring technology and real- time communication tools, the Tech4Nature project aims to safeguard the iconic whale shark population while balancing the socio-economic pressures of a world-class tourism destination.

Huawei partnered with the International Union for Conservation of Nature (IUCN) and the Maldives Ministry of Tourism & Environment to launch the initiative to modernise the management of South Ari Marine Protected Area (Sampa).

As the Maldives’ largest marine protected area and a globally significant year-round aggregation site for whale sharks,Sampa attracts thousands of visitors annually. Its vast extent and multiple access points present a significant logistical challenge for traditional monitoring approaches. The Tech4Nature project addresses these gaps by providing rangers with a suite of digital observation and reporting equipment.

By strengthening on-the-ground data collection and communication, the tools enable more efficient patrols, facilitate the tracking of tourism-species interactions, and provide a robust data-driven framework to support Sampa’s journey towards the IUCN Green List. This upgrade in on-site capability will ensure conservation efforts are both measurable and transparent, while supporting the local livelihoods that depend on a healthy marine ecosystem.

The Maldives project contributes to the wider Tech4Nature partnership, a global initiative launched in 2020 and co-led by IUCN and Huawei under Huawei’s Tech4All digital inclusion programme. Aligned with the IUCN Green List of Protected and Conserved Areas Standard, Tech4Nature demonstrates how technology can drive effective and equitable conservation.

As the first Tech4Nature initiative in the Maldives, the Sampa project forms part of broader global efforts co-led by IUCN and Huawei to scale up the use of digital technology in nature conservation. In Sampa, the project aims to strengthen the balance between tourism and conservation by improving visitor management, enhancing compliance and supporting science-based decision-making.

Throughout the project, Sampa rangers will be supplied with monitoring and communication equipment to strengthen patrols and on-site enforcement. This will allow rangers to respond promptly to unsafe or non-compliant activities, improve visitor safety, and reduce harmful interactions with whale sharks. Enhanced monitoring should also increase overall compliance with protected area regulations and promote more sustainable tourism practices that align with Sampa’s management and conservation goals.

“Effective conservation starts with equipping rangers with essential tools for ongoing field monitoring,” said Dindo Campilan, IUCN (iucn.org) regional director. “This lays the necessary foundation for better ecosystem management and governance. It is a pragmatic first step to bridge immediate operational gaps while applying the IUCN Green List Standard, ensuring Sampa sustains its unique biodiversity and the local livelihoods that depend on it.

“The government remains, as always, committed to advancing conservation and strengthening the institutional and governance mechanisms for the management of protected and conserved areas,” said Thoriq Ibrahim, minister of tourism and environment. “It is important that we all work together towards this goal with a common vision and shared responsibility.”

Zhang Jinze, CEO of Huawei in Sri Lanka, added: “As the successful outcomes of Tech4Nature projects since 2020 have shown, innovative technology can help to better understand and mitigate threats to biodiversity and the ecosystems it inhabits, including marine ecosystems. Alongside technology, a key approach of the Tech4Nature global partnership is the involvement of local partners and communities in project planning and implementation to ensure sustainability.”

To date, the initiative has supported 11 flagship and satellite projects across multiple countries worldwide, delivering tailored digital technology for a range of conservation challenges, from coral reef monitoring to wildlife protection and ecosystem restoration.

Founded in 1987, Huawei (www.huawei.com) is a provider of ICT infrastructure and smart devices. It has 208,000 employees and operates in over 170 countries and regions, serving more than three billion people around the world.