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How ‘smart’ beaches are preserving Ibiza’s natural environment, says Vodafone

The Balearic Island of Ibiza, Spain, is a popular holiday destination. Well-known for its retreats, sandy beaches, and lively nightlife.

However, Ibiza is also home to close to a thousand flora species, two National Parks and about 30 lizard species, 200 fish species and 70 shellfish and water animals, to name a few.

Off the coast, the 80,000-year-old seagrass beds have been a UNESCO World Heritage Site since 1999 and, for more than 7,000 years, pine forests have been closely associated with the island’s scenery.

It is understandable that local authorities want to protect the natural environment here and, with Ibiza Preservation reporting a decade of decline in the quality of Ibiza’s bathing waters, it’s time we use technology to help.

Overcrowding on the beach

Working with Ibiza Regional Council and Red.es, the joint venture Vodafone–Kapsch launched a sophisticated video surveillance system in June that can calculate occupancy levels at the island’s popular beaches.

Using IP cameras with 4G connectivity and sensors that can detect movement up to 100 meters away, local authorities, citizens and holiday makers can now get access to anonymous information about which areas are occupied and those that are free, in real time.

Able to control the number of people visiting beaches, local authorities will be able to better protect wildlife and the environment, while holiday makers and citizens will have a better experience, enjoying less packed beaches.

33 beaches are now part of the project, including Cala Sant Vicent, Benirràs, Platja d’en Bossa, Cala d’Hort and Cala Llonga.

Citizens and tourists can even find out if there is parking space near the beach, at what time the bus will pass through the stop and if the quality of the water is suitable for bathing.

Protecting the pine trees

In the future, this technology can also be adapted to other environments, such as parks, squares, terraces, promenades, and outdoor events.

For example, the plan is to use four optronic cameras for early fire detection that will cover almost 80% of Ibiza’s forest mass.

Able to intervene faster, local authorities will be able to prevent large fires on the island, helping protect Ibiza’s trees, landscape and inhabitants.

Saving the seabeds

Last week, Vodafone and Kapsch installed the second part of the project.

Using five marine buoys with sensors arranged at various beaches across the island, the Ibiza Regional Council and the rest of the authorities involved, will be able to measure water quality and detect and reduce the problems caused by the mass anchoring of boats.

This will help protect marine fauna and flora, in particular, the seabeds. As well as, providing information to citizens and tourists about the quality of the water for bathing.