🌋 A unique territory that requires tailored solutions
La Palma is not just any island. Its rugged terrain, the presence of sensitive ecosystems, and the coexistence of human activity with natural values mean that any action on the territory requires precise and up-to-date information.
At BENIU, we have deployed an environmental drone monitoring campaign on the island, using LiDAR, multispectral, and thermal infrared sensors to generate high-value data in hard-to-access areas.
🎯 What was the objective?
The main goal was to collect detailed geospatial information on:
- The state of vegetation and its evolution
- Terrain structure and recent changes
- Areas of special ecological interest or at risk of degradation
All of this aims to support technical decision-making for conservation, restoration, or forest planning in such a complex environment.
🛰️ What technology did we use?
We combined three types of drone-mounted sensors:
- LiDAR (Light Detection and Ranging): creates digital models of terrain and vegetation with high precision, even under tree cover.
- Multispectral: captures vegetation responses in different wavelengths, useful for detecting stress, vigor, or phenological changes.
- Thermal infrared: records surface temperature of the terrain and vegetation, allowing the identification of areas with water stress, active runoff, or thermal anomalies.
BENIU team operating in La Palma with LiDAR, multispectral, and thermal sensors.
The combined use of these technologies gives us a comprehensive and complementary view of the environment. The flights were planned at low altitude and high resolution, adapting to the orographic conditions of each area.
🚁 A landscape that puts technology to the test
Working in La Palma is no easy task. Steep slopes, changing weather, and irregular vegetation cover require meticulous planning, experienced pilots, and high-performance equipment.
Despite these challenges, we successfully completed several flight sessions over key areas, generating a robust database that is now being analyzed and cross-checked with field observations.
📌 Where else do we apply this technology?
This methodology has also been used by our team in other complex environments such as:
- Mountain systems in the Spanish interior
- Areas affected by forest fires
- River basins under ecological restoration
- Protected areas with difficult access for technical staff
In all cases, the combination of LiDAR, multispectral, and thermal infrared has proven to be an effective tool for environmental decision-making.
🤝 A collaboration with long-term vision
This project is part of a strategic collaboration between BENIU and local/regional authorities to develop remote sensing solutions tailored to the Canary Islands. We rely on the technical support of local teams and our extensive experience in advanced environmental management.
🔍 What results do we expect?
Although full technical reports will be available soon, we can already say that this type of operation allows us to:
- Identify areas with vegetation cover loss
- Measure topographic changes with great detail
- Locate priority habitats or areas under human pressure
- Support restoration or environmental monitoring actions
- Detect abnormal thermal patterns that may indicate environmental stress or ecological risk
👀 In the meantime, explore the area yourself
We’ve prepared a 360º view with spherical images captured during the campaign. You can move freely through the landscape:
🌱 Remote sensing as an ally of the land
Remote sensing doesn’t replace fieldwork — it enhances it. In territories like La Palma, it enables us to act with knowledge, speed, and technical precision, minimizing impact and optimizing resources.
This campaign is a clear example of how territory-conscious technology can contribute to sustainability, environmental resilience, and innovation in natural resource management.
🔗 Coming soon
We will soon publish all technical, visual, and analytical results in the Completed Projects section.
