Eyes in the Cloud : Leveraging the Cloud in Protecting Mangroves in Catanduanes

Mangroves serve as natural barriers that protect rice paddies from saltwater intrusion

Mangrove ecosystems in Catanduanes provide critical coastal protection, support biodiversity conservation, enable carbon sequestration, and sustain local livelihoods. However, these habitats face increasing threats from frequent typhoons, illegal logging, encroachment, and climate change impacts. Catanduanes State University (CSU) required advanced, cost-effective tools for detailed mapping and ongoing monitoring of mangrove health, assessing typhoon damage, detecting illegal activities, and identifying priority restoration areas. Additionally, CSU sought to build local capacity and expertise in drone technology, cloud computing, and spatial analysis to ensure sustainable, locally-driven monitoring efforts.

In Jan 2024, Help.NGO started the collaboration with CSU to implement a comprehensive drone-based mapping and cloud computing initiative. Leveraging drones and open-source mapping software, Help.NGO provided detailed mapping of mangrove habitats, assessed typhoon damages, identified illegal activities, and pinpointed critical restoration sites. The initiative emphasized local capacity-building, equipping CSU researchers and students with practical skills for long-term monitoring and analysis.

• Key Solution Components:

  
  

  Drone-Based Mangrove Mapping:

  
  

  • Detailed aerial mapping of coastal mangrove habitats using advanced drone platforms.

  • Rapid assessment of typhoon-related mangrove damage, coastal erosion patterns, and illegal logging or encroachment detection.

    
    

  The drones used included:

  
  

  • DJI Mavic 3 Enterprise (M3E): A versatile portable drone for mapping, search and rescue, and documentation.

  • DJI Mavic Air 2S: Cost-effective drone suitable for mapping, search and rescue, and documentation. Primarily used for partner training.

  • DJI Matrice 30 (M30) : A versatile enterprise drone with a large sensor and an airframe capable of handling heavy winds for mapping, search and rescue, and documentation.

• Cloud Computing & Open-Source Software:

  
  

  • WebODM (OpenDroneMap) used for efficient cloud-based processing and analysis of drone imagery, creating high-resolution orthomaps, 3D models, and spatial datasets.

  • Cloud-based data solutions ensured CSU maintained data sovereignty, security, and long-term access to critical environmental information.

    
    

  Comprehensive Capacity-Building Training:

  
  

  • on Feb 2024 Help.NGO conducted a three-day workshop titled "Literacy Training on Unmanned Aerial Systems (UAS), Low Earth Orbit (LEO) Connectivity, and Cloud Computing & Operation Support for Resilient Communities in Catanduanes."

  • Modules included drone flight dynamics, data collection methodologies, safety standards, mapping techniques, spatial analysis, and practical emergency response applications.

  
  

Three-day workshop conducted in January 2024 in Catanduanes on UAS, LEO connectivity, and cloud computing for resilient communities.

Empowering community-led mangrove conservation with cloud solutions

AWS cloud infrastructure provided core storage, processing, and analytical capabilities, enhancing CSU's ability to manage, analyze, and utilize large volumes of drone-captured mangrove ecosystem data through WebODM (OpenDroneMap’s web platform).

WebODM is an open-source, web-based platform built on the OpenDroneMap engine. It converts drone images into orthophotos, elevation models, and 3D reconstructions. When deployed on Amazon Web Services (AWS), it becomes a powerful processing pipeline that enables partners with limited GIS skills to focus on their core work of mangrove protection rather than technical complexities.

Workflow of WebODM on AWS

We installed and configured WebODM  running on an Amazon EC2 on an account of Catanduanes State University managed by Help.NGO. We also provide application management as well as supporting, providing additional capacity when large datasets are being processed.

There are three main reasons WebODM was used in this project was because of the following;

• Cost-Effectiveness – Commercial mapping tools can cost thousands of dollars per year, making them unattainable for our partners in Catanduanes. Even with grant funding, these costs would be unsustainable given the limited and time-bound nature of available resources. WebODM is free and community-driven, with costs limited only to AWS hosting and compute time.

• Accessibility – WebODM can be accessed through any web browser, eliminating the need for specialized GIS software or powerful computers. This allows researchers to work with standard equipment and internet access.

• Actionability – Instead of managing thousands of raw photos, decision-makers receive processed maps and 3D models they can use immediately for planning, analysis, and research. This transforms unusable data into actionable intelligence.

Using Starlink connectivity, drone field teams can fly missions for 90 minutes, then upload the captured data directly to AWS Cloud-based WebODM. This enables decision-makers and collaborators worldwide to instantly view, download, and analyze the drone data for informed decision-making.

Outcome

• Successfully mapped extensive mangrove habitats, providing detailed insights into typhoon impacts, coastal erosion, and illegal activities

  
  

• Enabled  CSU to identify priority restoration areas and develop strategies for coastal protection, biodiversity conservation, and habitat resilience. This work ultimately supported a municipality in securing a $1.5M USD grant from the national government of the Philippines for a Mangrove EcoShield Project. The project addresses environmental and socio-economic challenges through reforestation of 10 hectares of mangrove forest across six barangays. Additionally, a mangrove nursery will be established to support restoration efforts and enhance local livelihoods for approximately 519 individuals from 10 fisherfolk associations and 5 multi-sectoral associations.

  
  

• Enhanced CSU's technical capacity, empowering local researchers and students to independently conduct ongoing mangrove monitoring and analysis using cloud-based tools.

Alluvial plain that is being explored as possible mangrove reforestation target in Catanduanes

In alignment with Help.NGO's commitment to democratizing technology and data access, the organization contributed all our aerial maps to OpenAerialMap, covering approximately 20 square kilometers in 2025 alone. This open-access platform ensures that the high-resolution imagery remains freely available to humanitarian organizations, researchers, and development practitioners working in Catanduanes.

By making these datasets publicly accessible, Help.NGO extends the impact of the emergency response efforts beyond immediate disaster relief, creating valuable resources for long-term research, development planning, and future disaster preparedness initiatives.

Here is the link to one of the mangrove datasets in the Municipality of Pandan.

Help.NGO operator reviewing live aerial footage on the drone controller screen

Detailed Reports:

Our detailed report on the Catanduanes Mangrove Mapping Initiative can be accessed here, and you can read about our latest operations in Catanduanes with DroneDeploy in this blog post.

We also supported the local abaca industry, which you can read more about here. Additionally, Catanduanes is home to our Connectivity Resilience Program with the Internet Society Foundation, detailed here.

Reflections & Next Steps:

Since beginning our work on the island of Catanduanes following Typhoon Rai in December 2021, Help.NGO continues to support various partners, particularly Catanduanes State University.

Our technical team continues developing cloud solutions for CSU, including improvements to WebODM, DroneDB, NextCloud, and other platforms. These tools enable their researchers and extension officers to better support their communities and stakeholders. We are also developing new proof-of-concept tools on AWS Cloud. Follow our blog for updates on these developments as we expand our efforts regionally to protect and sustain critical mangrove ecosystems.

We are currently experimenting with our partners on the following innovations:

• Automated AI Analysis – Using Amazon Rekognition, processed maps can be automatically scanned to identify damaged mangroves or optimal locations for planting new mangrove trees with the highest survivability rates.

• Serverless Processing – With AWS Lambda, data uploads can trigger processing jobs without human intervention, further reducing operational burden.

Acknowledgments:

Project success was made possible by close collaboration with our partner Catanduanes State University (CSU)

This mission was made possible with the AWS Disaster Response Team, AWS Global Social Impact Team, and DroneDeploy.

Additionally, the deployment of Starlink satellite units was crucial in maintaining communication across remote areas, ensuring that our efforts were coordinated and effective.

For more information about Help.NGO's work, please visit www.help.ngo.

Written by :

Matthew Aligaen Cua, Innovation Director at HELP.NGO and an Adjunct Faculty at the Asian Institute of Management (AIM). With a background in integrating technology into humanitarian efforts, Matthew has led numerous missions worldwide, focusing on enhancing disaster response through innovative solutions.

Matthew Silver, U.S.-based Research Consultant at Help.NGO. He supports the organization’s global operations by leading critical research initiatives, overseeing communications quality, and advancing strategic development efforts across multiple domains. Matthew holds a B.S. in Sociocultural Anthropology and Political Science from Colgate University and is passionate about applying rigorous analysis to humanitarian efforts, bridging academic insight with real-world impact.