Project Kāinga report: Enhancing Kaitiakitanga – Artificial Intelligence and Technology-Enabled Biodiversity Restoration in Aotearoa New Zealand (Alistair Mowat)
- Jun 1
- 2 min read
Prepared by Alistair Mowat (Thought Strategy Limited) for Project Kāinga, this November 2024 report explores how artificial intelligence and emerging environmental monitoring technologies can be integrated with mātauranga Māori to support biodiversity restoration and climate resilience in Aotearoa. It is grounded in a five-pillar conceptual framework spanning Indigenous knowledge systems, technology integration, co-management and governance, adaptive capacity, and ethical and policy support.
The report surveys a wide range of technologies — including AI-powered camera traps, UAV-based eDNA sampling, bioacoustic monitoring, remote sensing, and predictive ecological modelling — assessing their potential to enhance kaitiakitanga-led conservation practice. It is explicit that technology must complement rather than displace traditional knowledge, and that data sovereignty, cultural protocols, and iwi/hapū governance must be central to any implementation. The framework is intended as a starting point for co-development with Ngāi Tamawhariua around their kaitiakitanga of the Kaimai Forest.
For Project Kāinga communities, this report opens practical possibilities for hapū-led environmental monitoring — combining mātauranga Māori with scalable, cost-effective tools for tracking biodiversity, freshwater health, and taonga species. It also identifies the structural conditions required for this work to succeed: shared governance, data sovereignty, dedicated funding, and community capacity building.
Alistair Mowat is a Tauranga-based strategic innovator and director of Thought Strategy Limited and Bluehaven Innovation Limited. With over 40 years of experience across public, private and multinational innovation roles, he has led research in horticulture, sustainability, biodiversity restoration and ecosystem management. Alistair co-led the Value Chain Theme for the Our Land and Water National Science Challenge, served on the PlantTech Research Institute board, and advises Te Arawa's Ngā Ara Pungapunga Project. His work connects science, policy, industry and community to drive collaborative approaches to environmental and economic resilience.
