The word 'drone' often conjures up imagery and associations with warfare due to the heavy use of drones by the military. However, drones, which are often referred to as UAVs – unmanned aerial vehicles, are being used more and more in other ways in society.

Are you active in the area of using drones for sustainable development or have an idea for how drones could address an environmnetal or humanitarian issue? Take part in next year's UAE Drones for Good Award.

In areas with poor road infrastructure, getting vital equipment and supplies to residents can be difficult. One US-based organisation is looking at how drones could be used as medical couriers.

Mapping, data collection, conducting headcounts of animals - drones are being put to use in myriad ways to assist in development and disaster relief. We spoke with the organisation Drone Adventures about the projects they are bringing to life in this field.

From the bottom of the ocean to the outer reaches of the galaxy – the possibilities offered by drones and satellites are practically unlimited. Unmanned aerial vehicles are no longer only used in war zones. Equipped with cutting-edge technology, they are also valuable aids in the fight against pollution and social injustice. They can expose polluters and even locate people buried under rubble. In our RESET Special 'Drones and Satellites for Good', we will introduce projects that use satellites and drones towards sustainable development.

Drones, or unmanned aerial vehicles (UAVs), are multi-functional. From delivering packages to wildlife surveillance, drones have been on the biodiversity frontlines as wildlife conservation tools. In our age of climate change and deforestation, drones now take a bigger step towards reversing the loss of forests and trees.

The Vaquita is the smallest of all cetaceans, and is one of the most endangered marine mammals in the world - along with whales, dolphins, seals, manatees, sea otters - with less than 100 of them on the planet. Mexico is testing the use of unmanned drones to help protect the critically-endangered Vaquita from being killed by illegal fishing activities in the Gulf of California.

When Google decides which websites you should see and Amazon is set to send out goods you have not yet ordered, then you can be assured that Big Data is involved in some way. But where does this ‘Big Data’ come from, what does it mean for us and how can it be used in a meaningful way?

Drones are costly and have the potential to invade privacy, but they can also make a massive impact on agriculture and biodiversity – so where is the drone industry headed?