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Wireless sensor networks for forest rainfall and river delta salinity measurement
Prof. Iestyn Pierce, Professor in Electronic Engineering
School of Computer Science and Engineering
Proposals for natural flood management need data on the influence of forest coverage on canopy rainfall interception in different types of forest cover in the Dyfi Forest to construct a digital twin of the forest and its influence on flooding. The target area requires reliable monitoring under harsh attenuation and interference conditions, making the LoRaWAN protocol a potentially viable technology.
The feasibility of using LoRa in the forest was first assessed: signal attenuation in these environments is influenced by a combination of diffraction, reflection, scattering, and absorption effects induced by the vegetation and terrain. Through in situ measurement and RF modelling the suitability of the catchment and specific locations within it for gateways and end devices was evaluated.
With the expertise built in the Dyfi Forest, more recent work is investigating a LoRaWAN or NBIoT network in the Mekong Delta, Vietnam to help monitor saline intrusion in irrigation channels for rice paddies, with the ultimate aim of empowering local farmers to make the best decisions when planting crops.
We acknowledge support from the European Union-funded SEEC project, and the Universities Wales Global Wales fund.