About

So I came across Moja Global thanks to Harsh Bardhan Misra, and I decided to learn more about it for the upcoming GSoD '22. Here is my learning documented regarding Flint.

Moja FLINT

Developed by moja-global, FLINT ("Full Land Integration Tool") is a modular system, allowing integration with models for remote sensing data aimed on analyzing greenhouse gas accountants for the land sector.

Framework

Moja FLINT presents a framework that allows,

1. Simulation of events and processes
2. Variable time-step accommodation
3. Key modules involve integration, transactions, modifiable and exchangeable individual services
4. Functional exchange of growth, decomposition, disturbances, forest management actions
5. Event streams, data platform, processing capability results

Paraphrasing from the wiki, the "high-level overview of the FLINT system and its core components" include,

• Pools
• Operations
• Modules
• Simulation Units
• Local Domain
• Synchronized Events
• Temporal Distribution
• Reporting Indicators

We'll go through each of these in slight detail on how it integrates with everything else

Pool

A Pool essentially carries the same meaning it does in our world - a place where something can be stored/released. This is much like a swimming pool at home, water can be put into it, if the pool needs to be cleaned or the water has turned stagnant, we "release" the water and clean the pool to fill it once again.

What sets a pool apart from other pools are certain attributes. In FLINT's context, this is VALUE. Now, we can bring in the picture of Carbon combined with a Pool, to form a Carbon Pool.

This Value in question can be something like a criteria or of importance, such as tonnes carbon. Operations be performed to move stores from one pool to another.

In FLINT

FLINT can be configured for sub-regional, regional, national level, to deal with compliance and regulations. There are certain "pool definitions" of the IPCC ("Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change") which involves,

1. Above-ground biomass
2. Below-ground biomass
3. Dead wood
4. Litter
5. Soil (mineral and organic)

Pools maintain two main state variables,

1. Stock - what is the total quantity of a metric it currently has? This can be tonnes carbon
2. Flux - historical logs about changes in the Stock

These exist in the Sub Pools, aggregating up to the Pool.

Because we are now working with IPCC , we also have some non-IPCC criteria as well. These are atmosphere and products.

Initialization

Upon initialization, default pools would be set in the FLINT using default configurations that hook the FLINT to default modules.

This flexibility enables implementation in the FLINT of pool structures used in national approaches, for future developments of adding new pools, such as,

1. Mosses
2. Bamboo
3. Stumps
4. Barks

Some additional features include representation of,

1. Water Balance
2. Active Layers In Peatlands
3. Permafrost Systems

FLINT will maintain a hierarchy of pools/sub-pools and manage their interactions, for both Carbon & Non-Carbon Pools (the main pool layer).

Notes

Overall, we have something like this,

Summary

Moja Global presents an interesting and fascinating look domain into Climate Change and such, showcasing a feasible framework to work with. In the upcoming series, we can expand more on the components that come after Pool and how they build and connect together to solve many problems that Moja Global aims to target with its FLINT framework.

References

• Moja Global, FLINT