Colombia has launched a new national wildfire detection and monitoring programme in partnership between the National Unit for Disaster Risk Management (UNGRD) and the Germany-based company OroraTech, making it the first country in Latin America to adopt a satellite-based national wildfire surveillance system.
The initiative will deploy OroraTech’s “Wildfire Solution” (WFS) platform across Colombia, integrating thermal satellite imagery and AI analytics to detect and monitor wildfires in near-real time. The WFS system combines data from more than 30 public and private satellites and should serve as a central platform delivering alerts and mapping fire activity.
Under the agreement, the programme kicks off as a national pilot covering the country’s full territory. More than 700 members of Colombia’s national disaster-risk system have already been trained to use the platform, and UNGRD has conducted over 15 virtual and in-person sessions to build operator capacity.
No specific investment cost or scale metrics (such as number of satellites dedicated or full coverage budget) were disclosed. The project aims to strengthen surveillance-capabilities in remote zones, protect Colombia’s ecosystems (including large portions of the Amazon rainforest) and reduce community risk from wildfires
