Smart Forests

Forests play a critical role in addressing environmental change, significantly contributing to the carbon cycle, biodiversity, and the quality of air and water. Meanwhile, digital technologies are transforming forest management and enhancing their environmental benefits. Smart forests, found in diverse locations from Germany to New York City and Thailand, and ranging from remote to urban areas, are at the forefront of this innovation. However, the social and political impacts of these emerging technologies remain underexplored and warrant further research.

This project addresses the crucial question of how forests are becoming “smart” through the increasing use of digital technologies to manage these environments. It considers how forests and technologies are co-constituted. Rather than advocate for smartness, it questions how and why forests are becoming technologically optimised to address environmental change.