Satellite Validation for Peatland Fire Monitoring Using UAV LiDAR Technology

Reference: 2026/FAINS/FAINS/135927 GENERAL INFORMATION A critical technical gap in current peatland fire monitoring is the inability to accurately measure the depth of burn scars. While traditional methods focus on measuring "burned area" (m2), peat fires burn vertically into the soil, creating deep combustion craters.

Without measuring this volumetric loss (m3), it is impossible to accurately calculate Greenhouse Gas (GHG) emissions for Nationally Determined Contributions (NDCs). The year 2025 has introduced a new generation of "fire-specific" satellite constellations (including FireSat, Forest-1/OroraTech), which promise significantly higher resolution and sensitivity to smouldering fires.

However, the capabilities of these sensors regarding peatland fire measurement are currently unknown and untested. Consequently, this assignment requires the Service Provider to bridge the gap between satellite data and ground reality. The provider will deploy UAV-based LiDAR technologies to capture precise (cm level accuracy), site-level measurements of burn scar depths.

These "ground truth" volumetric datasets will serve two purposes: (1) to estimate the actual volume of peat lost to combustion, and (2) to calibrate and validate the detection accuracy of the new 2025 satellite sensors.

DESCRIPTION OF SERVICES The Service Provider is expected to deliver the following technical outputs: • Output : Remote Sensing & Field Data Integration o LiDAR Volumetric Analysis: Acquisition, processing, and analysis of Terrestrial and UAV-based LiDAR data to map burn scar depths at the site level and to calculate the specific "Volume of Peat Lost" of fire.

The Service Provider shall conduct data collection at representative pilot sites within the target provinces of the central Kalimantan. o Satellite Sensor Validation (Aerial Imagery): Collection and processing of high-resolution UAV optical/orthomosaic imagery over targeted burn scar areas.

This aerial data will function as the validation baseline to assess the reliability and spatial accuracy of the new 2025 satellite constellations (FireSat, Forest-1, SatVu), specifically verifying their ability to accurately delineate burn perimeters and detect active smouldering in complex peatland environments.

Technical Equipment Standards: To ensure data quality in dense tropical peatland environments, the Service Provider is expected to utilize equipment meeting the following minimum specifications (or equivalent): • UAV Platform: Enterprise-grade platform capable of heavy payloads and operation in high-humidity/tropical conditions (e.g., DJI Matrice 350 RTK or similar).

• LiDAR Sensor: Aerial LiDAR sensor with multi-return capability (minimum 3 returns, preferably 5) to effectively penetrate dense canopy and smoke/haze (e.g., DJI Zenmuse L2 or similar). • Positioning: High-precision RTK Mobile Station to ensure vertical accuracy of <5 cm for subsidence measurements (e.g., D-RTK 2 Mobile Station)