Group members may find the attached brief of interest by the Anti-Corruption Resource Center on "Digitizing the landscape: Technology to improve integrity in natural resource management".
technology_and_natural_resource_management_u4brief_2017.pdf11 April 2017 11:05pm
Thanks for sharing this Rachel.
There is some great technology in here and some fantastic ideas. I like the use of AI to create patroling routes that are more likely to catch poachers.
One thing the article doesn't seem to address directly is the challenge created by corrupt officials explicitly blocking the use of technology, prefering instead to keep records "off the the books." Is this potentially a problem?
In some of the more sensitive bio-diversity regions, social media is only so accessible, and digitization not only cost money, it requires explicit acceptance "on the ground." I don't have any answers, unfortunately. Maybe the ideas presented here can start circumventing some of the corruption, but until we can find a way to make sure that the governments, and officials, and local populations all see greater economic benefit from co-existing with biodervisity than through the exploitation of it, the challenge will continue.
12 April 2017 4:03pm
Thanks, @Drue+Freeman . You raise excellent points, here. In my experience with projects that use protected area monitoring and management software such as the Spatial Monitoring and Reporting Tool (SMART Conservation Software), transparency is enhanced and the influence of special interests/corruption can be reduced. But for robust results, it is importnat to move beyond pilots and encourage the adoption of a single system on a national level, throughout a country's parks, protected areas and (where appopriate) community-managed areas. Securing this kind of commitment requires robust funding and active engagement of government.
Drue Freeman