Penang council flags 167 ‘at-risk’ trees with AI’s help

 Mayor Rajendran P Anthony says satellite images and artificial intelligence are being used to help the Penang Island City Council detect unhealthy trees earlier.

(From left) Penang Island City Council mayor Rajendran P Anthony, state executive councillor for local government H’ng Mooi Lye and Spacegen managing director Ng Cheng Cheng at the MBPP town hall in George Town.

GEORGE TOWN:

 The Penang Island City Council (MBPP) has identified 167 trees requiring urgent attention under a new tree monitoring system using satellite and artificial intelligence.

Mayor Rajendran P Anthony said the trees were among 3,736 flagged for monitoring and further action under MBPP’s “Smart Sight Trees” system, which is believed to be the first of its kind in the country.

He said the RM988,000 system, developed by local firm Spacegen, covers 12,531 trees across 44 sq km in the northeast district. The one-year project began last July and will run until this July.

Rajendran said the northeast district was chosen because most tree-fall incidents on the island were recorded there. He added that satellite images had been taken for the entire island, with further analysis to follow.

He said the system uses satellite imagery that can detect changes in leaf colour and canopy condition. The data is then analysed using AI to identify potentially unhealthy trees.

Rajendran said the system had an accuracy rate of up to 94%, but stressed that it would not replace inspections by arborists.

“Once the satellite image provides a reading, the site must still be inspected to determine whether the tree can be saved,” he said at the council’s town hall here.

Rajendran said 31 of the 167 high-risk trees had already been inspected and action had been taken. He added that MBPP will prioritise high-risk trees, with follow-up checks potentially including tests for internal decay, termite damage, or hollow sections.

“If a tree cannot be saved, it will be cut down. The priority is public safety,” he told reporters, adding that five trees would be replanted for every tree felled.

Rajendran said MBPP recorded 1,484 cases of fallen trees or broken branches last year. As of May this year, 46 cases had been recorded. The council felled 131 trees in 2024, 293 last year, and 89 so far this year. It also maintained 40,144 trees last year and 16,725 up to May this year.

He noted that many urban trees were old, with an average age of around 80 years, and estimated that 10-20% could be more than 100 years old. He added that road-widening and drainage works had affected tree root systems.

“On one side, we widen the road; on the other, we widen the drain. So the roots are affected,” he said.

Rajendran said MBPP has three arborists, and the new system will help them focus on trees requiring urgent inspection. He added that the council would continue using the system beyond July as efforts to improve tree safety across the island continue. - FMT