Hello Everyone,

I wanted to discuss something that's been on my mind since I started working in frontline conservation. Coming from the art+tech scene and being a maker myself, I've always believed that technology should serve a purpose and provide real improvements over other options. However, my experience in independent conservation efforts has shown me some flaws in current model of donor-dependent projects when deploying tech to the front-line.

Here's a summary of what I've observed in the past years working in snow leopard conservation in the Tien-Shan mountains:

1. Technology is often given to rangers or community-based reserves without proper oversight on what's best suited for the task or habitat.

2. Each organization buys its own tech, leading to an unsustainable system where resources cannot be shared or repurposed.

3. Lack of maintenance plans leads to short-lived tech.

4. Local teams lack knowledge and repairability skills.

5. Technical assistance and training are lacking, often just marketing strategies from NGOs.

6. Over-scaled deployments could result in inefficient use of resources.

7. Dead tech accumulates in storage and is not discarded properly (batteries, chargers, etc).

8. Sometimes, rangers get the same equipment from different projects, wasting resources.
 

For these reasons, I believe it's important to address these issues and reduce the risks associated with tech projects in remote regions.

How beneficial would it be to establish an organization that can oversee technology management, offer training, and ensure accountability and efficiency among local teams? A subscription model could offer tech and repair services. Being able to repurpose tech over different projects is already a big improvement over the current donor-dependent model that lacks efficiency and can lead to misuse of resources. And also providing alternatives to mitigate corruption within the sector, particularly concerning the substantial budgets allocated for camera trap deployment and batteries in remote areas. These resources often become difficult to monitor, leading to potential misuse of the resources. 

I'd like to hear your thoughts, especially from those who work with tech. While you're skilled at building your own solutions, we need better ways to manage mainstream tech efficiently for conservation.

Please share your insights.

Thank you.

Luciano Foglia
nowforwildlife.org