In this episode of Smart Forests Radio, we speak with Murtaza Taj, Associate Professor and Director of the Computer Vision Lab, as well as former Director of Technology for People Initiative at Lahore University of Management Sciences, about his work developing early forest fire detection systems in Pakistan. Murtaza explains why he prioritized low-cost, energy-efficient, and easy-to-deploy technologies, which led his team to build an indigenized suite of
sensing
,
simulation
, and
communication
tools tailored to local contexts rather than relying on imported models. He describes running a successful pilot in northern Pakistan, where his team combined technology deployment with
government
and community engagement. He also details collaborating with the Forest Department, forest guards, local communities,
NGOs
, and network providers, and considers how multiple institutions and communities must adapt for a more holistic approach to
fire
prevention and response.
Interviewers: Jennifer Gabrys and Phoebe Hamilton Jones
Producer: Harry Murdoch
Listen on Apple and Spotify
This radio episode was produced by the Smart Forests project funded by the European Research Council. Smart Forests is led by Professor Jennifer Gabrys and is based in the Department of Sociology at the University of Cambridge.
Header image: A visual representation of the fire spread over a five-hour period. The images show the changing patterns and extent of the fire. Centre for Water Informatics & Technology, Lahore University of Management Sciences, 2023. https://wit.lums.edu.pk/research-stories/Embracing-IoT-and-AI-for-Forest-Protection-Lessons-Learned-and-the-Path-Forward-for-the-Forest-Fire-Detection-Early-Warning-System.
Smart Forests Atlas materials are free to use for non-commercial purposes (with attribution) under a
CC BY-NC-SA 4.0 license.
To cite this radio episode:
Taj, Murtaza, Jennifer Gabrys, and Phoebe Hamilton Jones, "Murtaza Taj: Building Technology and Trust for Forest Fire Prevention," Smart Forests Atlas (2026), https://atlas.smartforests.net/en/radio/murtaza-taj.