Located on the Sanjiangyuan National Park, Qinghai-Tibet Plateau in China, the Unesco World Heritage site Hoh Xil (also known as Kekexili) is home to more than 230 wildlife species, with more than 60% of the mammal species being plateau endemic. Safeguarding this unique and vulnerable ecosystem and its precious biodiversity is paramount. However, the ecological conservation work can be challenging due to the vast area covered by the park – some of which is at a very high altitude.
Sanjiangyuan National Park collaborated with China Mobile and ZTE to co-build a 5G network around the Zhuonai Lake of Hoh Xil. Applications such as remote video monitoring, and digitised patrolling and law enforcement have been enabled through 5G. The applications enable staff to develop first-hand materials for scientific research and educational platforms.
By September 2023, video monitoring via 5G had helped reduce patrolling in ultra-harsh environments by 80%, saving more than 5,000 litres of fuel and taking 18 patrol vehicles off the road, significantly lowering carbon emissions. The 5G-powered remote patrolling also resulted in $2.6 million of annual savings in ecological conservation costs including transport, security, health and safety, and labour.
With high-quality video feeds and AI analytics, scientists now have much deeper insights into antelope migration and breeding patterns, and can accurately track the population. Scientists reported that more than 15,000 female antelope arrived for calving at Zhuonai Lake in 2023.
