In cooperation with the National Parks of Montenegro, MECOnet successfully conducted a field trial of the ARCA Mobile WatchStation in Lovćen National Park.
Developed within the EU-funded ARCA – Artificial Intelligence Platform to Prevent Climate Change Natural Hazards project, the Mobile WatchStation is a portable and autonomous surveillance platform designed for continuous operation in remote forest areas. The system is powered by a photovoltaic panel and battery storage, enabling it to operate independently from the local electricity grid.
The ARCA Mobile WatchStation demonstrated its effectiveness under the real-life conditions of Lovćen National Park, confirming its capacity to operate in forested and mountainous environments and support environmental monitoring and the early detection of wildfires in protected natural areas.
The demonstration produced highly positive results. The WatchStation successfully demonstrated its ability to detect potential fires at an early stage, identify their location and provide visual and thermal information to support a timely response.
Based on the bilateral agreement reached between MECOnet and the National Parks of Montenegro, MECOnet will make the ARCA Mobile WatchStation available for deployment at suitable locations within the national parks. The system will support the monitoring of protected areas and assist the responsible services in preventing and managing natural hazards.
The activity represents another important step in the implementation of the ARCA pilot infrastructure in Montenegro and in strengthening the use of innovative technologies for the protection of forests and natural ecosystems.
The ARCA project is co-financed through the Interreg VI-B IPA Adriatic-Ionian Cooperation Programme.