ISO-Compliant Forest MRV - Satellite Oracle Extension

[Proposal setup] Proposal title

Please provide your proposal title

ISO-Compliant Forest MRV - Satellite Oracle Extension

[Proposal Summary] Budget Information

Enter the amount of funding you are requesting in ADA

250000

[Proposal Summary] Time

Please specify how many months you expect your project to last

7

[Proposal Summary] Translation Information

Please indicate if your proposal has been auto-translated

No

Original Language

en

[Proposal Summary] Problem Statement

What is the problem you want to solve?

Current forest carbon credit systems lack transparent, verifiable monitoring leading to double-counting, low accuracy, and reduced market confidence in conservation efforts.

[Proposal Summary] Supporting Documentation

Supporting links

• https://gamayos.github.io/pcf12-ecomandala/
,
• https://github.com/HashPoint/pcf13-satellite-oracle-syngenta/blob/6bd48ee2eb2e32ff5aba5bff608ce18209e4e4df/Milestone1/UseCaseResearchReport.pdf
,
• https://www.pond.foundation/partners/forest-conservation-fund
,
• https://www.kwaxala.com/

[Proposal Summary] Project Dependencies

Does your project have any dependencies on other organizations, technical or otherwise?

No

Describe any dependencies or write 'No dependencies'

No dependencies

[Proposal Summary] Project Open Source

Will your project's outputs be fully open source?

Yes

License and Additional Information

The Satellite Orcale part of the proposal will remain open source.

[Theme Selection] Theme

Please choose the most relevant theme and tag related to the outcomes of your proposal

RWA

[Campaign Category] Category Questions

Describe your established collaborations.

The project team includes members from the partner various companies

A formal MOU will be signed once the proposal is approved.

Many of the project members already collaborated on multiple projects in the past, some related to Cardano and some not blockchain related.

Describe funding commitments.

Traditional carbon MRV systems typically cost $500,000-$2,000,000 for similar scope and functionality with 12-18 month delivery timelines. This project will create an extension for the Satellite Oracle providing an addional usecase.

Describe your key performance metrics.

Quantitative Metrics:

Forest coverage: Number of forest hectares monitored on-chain

Carbon credits: Volume of carbon credits verified through the system

Adoption: Number of conservation organizations onboarded

Blockchain activity: Transaction volume and frequency on Cardano

Community impact: Increased revenue flows to indigenous and local community forest managers

Qualitative Impact Metrics:

Improved transparency and trust in carbon credit markets

Strengthened international recognition of Cardano for environmental applications

[Your Project and Solution] Solution

Please describe your proposed solution and how it addresses the problem

Our solution addresses the critical gap in forest carbon credit verification by building upon our proven EcoMandala environmental foundational model (Fund 12) and Satellite Oracle technology (Fund 13) to create a comprehensive Monitoring, Reporting, and Verification (MRV) system specifically designed for forest conservation projects.

**Market Opportunity; **Financial Context: The global voluntary carbon credit market is valued at approximately $1.4-2.1 billion in 2024, with forestry and land use representing nearly 49% of the market. The market is projected to reach $7-35 billion by 2030 and could grow to $45-250 billion by 2050, driven by increasing corporate net-zero commitments and regulatory frameworks. Forest conservation has the highest climate pollution-reduction potential of all land-based climate action, with nature-based solutions providing up to one-third of required climate mitigation to prevent runaway warming. However, current systems suffer from transparency issues, inconsistent measurement standards, and concerns about carbon accounting accuracy, which undermine market confidence and reduce investment in forest conservation efforts.

Business Opportunity; Revenue Model: The carbon credit verification market presents a substantial recurring revenue opportunity. Traditional MRV services charge $2-5 per verified carbon credit, with major forest conservation projects generating 50,000-500,000 credits annually. Our blockchain-based system can capture significant market share by offering superior transparency, reduced costs (targeting 40% cost reduction), and enhanced credibility. Beyond direct verification fees, the system creates multiple revenue streams: Environmental NFT transactions, API access licensing, premium analytics services, and consultation for carbon project development. The addressable market includes over 6,200 registered carbon projects globally, with forest projects representing the largest segment. Corporate demand is accelerating as over 2,700 companies have set science-based climate targets (65% increase from 2023), creating sustained demand for high-quality carbon credits.

Satellite Oracle Vision; Multi-Use Case Strategy: Our Satellite Oracle represents a transformative trust layer designed to serve hundreds of diverse use cases across environmental monitoring, agricultural optimization, disaster response, urban planning, and climate analytics. Having proven its capabilities in agricultural applications (Fund 13) built upon the EcoMandala foundation (Fund 12), the forest carbon MRV system represents another major demonstration of this versatile infrastructure's potential. By establishing standardized, blockchain-verified Earth observation data access, we're creating the foundation for a vast ecosystem of environmental applications that will drive significant transaction volume and utility for the Cardano network.

ISO Standards Framework; Compliance: Our solution achieves full compliance with critical international standards that form the backbone of credible carbon monitoring systems. ISO 19144 and ISO 19115 are geospatial information standards under the ISO/TC (Technical Committee) 211 series for geographic information. While they are not carbon-accounting standards themselves, they serve as essential supporting standards for land cover classification, mapping, and metadata management, which are fundamental for forest carbon measurement and monitoring.

ISO 19144 – Land Cover Classification System (LCCS): ISO 19144-2:2012 "Geographic information — Classification systems — Part 2: Land Cover Classification System (LCCS)" provides a standardized framework to classify land cover globally. Our system implements this standard to categorize forests, shrublands, wetlands, and other land types systematically. This classification is crucial for tracking land-use and land-cover change (LULC), which is critical for deforestation and afforestation monitoring in REDD+ projects and for calculating carbon stock changes over time. A forestry carbon project can use satellite imagery classified via ISO 19144 LCCS to determine forest area changes, which directly relate to carbon gain or loss calculations.

ISO 19115 – Geographic Information Metadata: ISO 19115:2014 "Geographic information — Metadata" provides a comprehensive framework for describing geospatial datasets with standardized metadata. Our implementation ensures that satellite imagery and forest inventories have standardized metadata, improving traceability and verifiability of forest carbon monitoring. This standardized satellite data can be seamlessly integrated into carbon accounting models. Our metadata framework includes: dataset origin and acquisition methods, timestamps, spatial reference systems and coordinate systems, and processing steps (useful for verification of carbon accounting models). When submitting a forestry carbon credit project for verification, ISO 19115-compliant metadata ensures the spatial data used for carbon estimates is transparent and reproducible.

Integrated Standards Approach: These two geospatial standards work together with ISO 14064-2 (Carbon Project Verification) to provide credible evidence of land-use change and carbon sequestration, creating a complete standards-compliant framework for forest carbon credit verification. This integrated approach ensures our MRV system meets international requirements for transparency, accuracy, and verifiability.

Focus of the proposal

How we perceive the problem: Current carbon credit systems suffer from poor transparency, inconsistent measurement standards, and lack of real-time verification. This undermines market confidence and reduces investment in forest conservation efforts.

Our approach: We leverage the immutability and transparency of Cardano blockchain combined with our advanced EcoMandala AI foundational model and Satellite Oracle infrastructure to create a standardized, verifiable carbon monitoring system.

Key technical components:

EcoMandala Foundation: Utilizing our global environmental foundational model with on-chain multi-modal multi-scale dynamic embeddings for precise environmental monitoring

For more info:

https://gamayos.github.io/pcf12-ecomandala/

https://gamma.earth/

Satellite Oracle Extension: Building upon our existing agricultural monitoring system to focus on forest carbon dynamics

For more info

Environmental NFT Integration: Leveraging EcoMandala NFTs as digital passports for land units, encapsulating comprehensive carbon data

ISO Standards Compliance: Full alignment with ISO 19144 (Land Cover Classification), ISO 19115 (Geographic Metadata), and ISO 14064-2 (Carbon Project Verification)

Ground-truth Validation: Field measurement integration for model calibration and accuracy verification

Who will benefit:

Forest conservation organizations needing credible carbon credit verification

Carbon credit buyers seeking transparent, verifiable offset purchases

Local communities participating in REDD+ and conservation programs

The broader Cardano ecosystem through real-world utility demonstration that can:

Scale globally across multiple environmental use cases

Attract corporates and global organizations to blockchain-based environmental solutions

Create substantial on-chain transaction volume through carbon credit trading and verification

Unique aspects:

First blockchain-native MRV system with full ISO compliance built on proven EcoMandala foundation

Real-time monitoring capabilities through battle-tested Satellite Oracle infrastructure

Environmental NFTs as digital passports for comprehensive carbon data management

Transparent, immutable carbon accounting records with multi-modal environmental embeddings

Integration with existing conservation finance mechanisms through proven technology stack

Importance to Cardano: This project demonstrates Cardano's capability to solve real-world environmental challenges while creating a sustainable revenue model through carbon credit verification services. It establishes Cardano as the preferred blockchain for environmental applications and opens pathways for broader adoption in the growing multi-billion dollar carbon markets sector.

[Your Project and Solution] Impact

Please define the positive impact your project will have on the wider Cardano community

This project represents another use case for the Satellite Oracle built on Cardano. The Satellite Oracle goal is to provide a trust layer that can be connected to many use cases.

Value to Cardano Community:

• Real-world utility: Demonstrates Cardano's practical application in solving global environmental challenges
• Market expansion: Opens the multi-billion dollar carbon credits market to Cardano-based solutions
• Technical advancement: Showcases integration of IoT, AI, and blockchain technologies on Cardano
• Ecosystem growth: Attracts environmental organizations and impact investors to the Cardano ecosystem

Quantitative metrics:

• Number of forest hectares monitored on-chain
• Volume of carbon credits verified through the system
• Number of conservation organizations onboarded
• Transaction volume and frequency on Cardano
• Cost reduction compared to traditional MRV systems (target: 40% reduction)
• Increased revenue flows to indigenous and local community forest managers as a result of increased carbon credit sales

Qualitative metrics:

• Improved transparency and trust in carbon credit markets
• Enhanced credibility of forest conservation projects
• Strengthened international recognition of Cardano for environmental applications

Output Sharing:

• Research publications: Peer-reviewed papers on blockchain-based carbon monitoring
• Industry presentations: Conferences on carbon markets, blockchain technology, and environmental monitoring
• Community engagement: Regular updates through Catalyst reporting, Medium articles, and developer documentation
• Standards contribution: Active participation in ISO standard development processes

[Your Project and Solution] Capabilities & Feasibility

What is your capability to deliver your project with high levels of trust and accountability? How do you intend to validate if your approach is feasible?

Existing Capabilities:

Proven Track Record:

• Fund 12 Success: Delivered EcoMandala global environmental foundational model with on-chain multi-modal embeddings
• Progressive Development: Demonstrated ability to build upon previous successes and scale technology across use cases
• Collaboration with ISO teams and forest conservation organizations

Technical Expertise:

• Satellite Technology: Deep experience with ESA Sentinel-1/2 data processing and analysis
• AI/ML Capabilities: Advanced foundational models for Earth Observation data interpretation
• Blockchain Development: Proven Cardano smart contract development and oracle implementation
• Environmental Science: Understanding of forest carbon dynamics and MRV requirements

Existing Infrastructure:

• EcoMandala Foundation: Operational global environmental foundational model with proven on-chain multi-modal embeddings
• Satellite Oracle System: Battle-tested system providing real-time Earth Observation data through agricultural applications
• Environmental NFT Framework: Established system for creating digital passports with comprehensive environmental data
• Data Processing Pipelines: Proven quality assurance protocols and satellite data analysis capabilities
• Partnership Network: Existing relationships with satellite data providers and ground-truth validation networks

Progress Transparency:

• progress reports through Catalyst reporting system
• Open-source code repository with continuous integration
• Public demo instances for community testing and feedback

Technical Validation:

• Pilot testing with existing Satellite Oracle infrastructure proves technical feasibility
• Collaboration with ISO ensures standards compliance from project inception
• Partnership with Ivory Coast and British Columbia forest projects provides real-world validation environment

Market Validation:

• Growing demand for transparent carbon credit verification systems
• Existing relationships with conservation organizations ready for system adoption
• Regulatory trends favoring enhanced MRV requirements support market need

[Milestones] Project Milestones

Milestone Title

MRV System Design and Standards Framework Implementation

Milestone Outputs

• System architecture documentation.
• ISO 19144/19115/14064-2 compliance framework
• Technical specifications for Satellite Oracle extension
• Smart contract architecture for carbon credit tokenization

Acceptance Criteria

• System design approved by ISO technical committee representatives
• Architecture review passed by independent blockchain security experts
• Complete technical documentation published in open-source repository
• Compliance framework validated against international standards

Evidence of Completion

• Published system architecture document
• ISO compliance certification documentation
• Code repository with initial smart contract implementations
• Technical review reports from external validators

Delivery Month

2

Cost

50000

Progress

20 %

Milestone Title

Carbon Monitoring and Verification Engine Implementation

Milestone Outputs

• EcoMandala AI foundational model integration for enhanced biomass estimation
• Satellite Oracle data processing pipeline optimized for forest carbon monitoring
• Carbon stock calculation algorithms utilizing multi-modal environmental embeddings
• Environmental NFT-enhanced MRV dashboard and reporting interface

Acceptance Criteria

• AI model achieves >90% accuracy in biomass estimation validation tests
• Real-time satellite data processing operational with <24-hour latency
• Carbon calculations verified against ground-truth field measurements
• Dashboard successfully displays carbon monitoring data for test areas

Evidence of Completion

• Deployed and operational MRV processing engine
• Model accuracy validation report with statistical analysis
• Working dashboard with real forest monitoring data
• Performance benchmarking results documentation

Delivery Month

2

Cost

75000

Progress

50 %

Milestone Title

Forest Conservation Fund and Kwaxala Network Pilot Deployment

Milestone Outputs

• Live deployment of MRV system for Ivory Coast forest areas (Forest Conservation Fund)
• Implementation for Kwaxala Indigenous forest network in British Columbia, Canada (140,000 acres/55,000 hectares)
• Integration with both Forest Conservation Fund and Kwaxala Indigenous stewardship monitoring requirements
• Cross-location ground-truth data collection and validation protocols
• Pilot carbon credit verification and tokenization across different forest types and governance models

Acceptance Criteria

• System successfully monitoring minimum 10,000 hectares in Ivory Coast and 55,000 hectares in British Columbia
• Ground-truth validation confirms accuracy within ±10% of field measurements across both locations
• Complete carbon credit lifecycle demonstrated from monitoring to tokenization for both traditional conservation and Indigenous stewardship models
• Stakeholder approval from both Forest Conservation Fund and Kwaxala Indigenous partners

Evidence of Completion

• Live monitoring dashboard covering both African and North American forest systems
• Comparative validation report analyzing satellite estimates against field measurements across different forest types
• First verified carbon credits tokenized on Cardano blockchain from both pilot locations
• Stakeholder approval documentation from Forest Conservation Fund and Kwaxala Indigenous network

Delivery Month

1

Cost

75000

Progress

70 %

Milestone Title

Performance Enhancement and Knowledge Transfer

Milestone Outputs

• System performance optimization based on pilot feedback
• Comprehensive user documentation and training materials
• Developer API documentation for third-party integrations
• Best practices guide for MRV system deployment

Acceptance Criteria

• System processing efficiency improved by minimum 30% from initial deployment
• Complete user manual enabling independent system operation
• API documentation sufficient for third-party developer integration
• Training materials validated through pilot user sessions

Evidence of Completion

• Performance improvement metrics and benchmarking report
• Published user documentation and training materials
• API documentation with working code examples
• User feedback reports from training sessions

Delivery Month

1

Cost

25000

Progress

90 %

Milestone Title

Project Completion Report and Sustainability Planning

Milestone Outputs

• Comprehensive project completion report with impact assessment
• Long-term sustainability and maintenance plan
• Community handover documentation for continued development
• Final demonstration video showcasing complete system functionality

Acceptance Criteria

• Impact assessment demonstrates measurable improvements in carbon credit transparency
• Sustainability plan ensures system continuity beyond project completion
• Community documentation enables continued open-source development
• Video demonstration successfully showcases all system capabilities

Evidence of Completion

• Published project completion report with quantified impact metrics
• Sustainability plan approved by key stakeholders
• Complete community handover package in open-source repository
• Professional demonstration video

Delivery Month

7

Cost

25000

Progress

100 %

[Final Pitch] Budget & Costs

Please provide a cost breakdown of the proposed work and resources

Satellite Oracle Adjustments (25,000 ADA):

• Extension of existing Satellite Oracle infrastructure for forest carbon monitoring: 15,000 ADA
• Integration of EcoMandala AI model for enhanced biomass estimation: 7,000 ADA
• Oracle smart contract modifications for carbon credit tokenization: 3,000 ADA

APIs for Earth Observations and Data Management (50,000 ADA):

• Satellite data licensing and enhanced processing capabilities: 20,000 ADA
• Multi-modal environmental data integration APIs: 12,000 ADA
• Real-time data streaming and quality assurance systems: 10,000 ADA
• Cloud computing resources for large-scale satellite data processing: 8,000 ADA

Technical Interface for MRV Results (62,500 ADA):

• User-friendly dashboard development for forest monitoring visualization: 25,000 ADA
• Carbon credit verification and reporting interface: 20,000 ADA
• API documentation and third-party integration tools: 10,000 ADA
• Mobile-responsive design and accessibility implementation: 7,500 ADA

Forest Conservation Projects Coordination (62,500 ADA):

• Field operations and ground-truth data collection (Ivory Coast & British Columbia): 37,500 ADA
• Partnership coordination with Forest Conservation Fund and Kwaxala Indigenous Network: 15,000 ADA
• ISO standards compliance implementation and auditing: 10,000 ADA

Project Management; Administration (50,000 ADA - 20% of budget):

• Project leadership and coordination (hash point): 25,000 ADA
• Technical project management and milestone tracking: 12,000 ADA
• Legal and regulatory consultation for carbon credit compliance: 8,000 ADA
• Documentation, reporting, and community communication: 5,000 ADA

Total Project Cost: 250,000 ADA

Cost Justification: The budget allocation reflects the technical complexity of extending proven infrastructure while ensuring regulatory compliance and real-world validation. The largest allocation to technical interface development ensures user adoption, while substantial forest conservation project coordination ensures credible ground-truth validation across diverse forest ecosystems and governance models.

[Final Pitch] Value for Money

How does the cost of the project represent value for the Cardano ecosystem?

Market Comparison: Traditional carbon MRV systems typically cost $500,000-$2,000,000 for similar scope and functionality with 12-18 month delivery timelines. Our 250,000 ADA budget (approximately $100,000-$125,000) with 7-month delivery represents exceptional value through: Leveraging existing EcoMandala and Satellite Oracle infrastructure enables aggressive timeline and cost efficiency

Cardano blockchain reduces ongoing operational costs compared to traditional centralized systems

Accelerated delivery provides faster time-to-market for carbon credit verification services

Return on Investment for Cardano:

• Market Access: Opens $1.4+ billion voluntary carbon market to Cardano-based solutions with projected growth to $35+ billion by 2030
• Transaction Volume: Potential for significant on-chain activity through carbon credit trading and environmental NFT transactions
• Ecosystem Growth: Attracts environmental organizations, Indigenous communities, and impact investors to Cardano
• Technical Leadership: Establishes Cardano as blockchain of choice for environmental applications

Long-term Value Creation:

• Self-sustaining Model: System designed to generate revenue through verification services after project completion
• Scalability: Architecture supports global deployment across multiple forest types and governance models with minimal additional development
• Multi-Use Case Foundation: Satellite Oracle infrastructure serves hundreds of potential applications beyond carbon credits
• Knowledge Base: Open-source outputs benefit entire blockchain and environmental monitoring communities

The 250,000 ADA investment has potential to generate millions in economic value through carbon market facilitation and ecosystem growth.

Our integrated approach combining existing infrastructure with new carbon-specific capabilities and multi-location validation provides superior cost efficiency and accelerated time-to-market.

[Required Acknowledgements] Consent & Confirmation

Terms and Conditions:

Yes