The importance of technology in conservation

The UN World Wildlife Day took place on 3 March with the theme ‘Connecting people and planet: exploring digital innovation in wildlife conservation’.

The UN said the aim of the day was to raise awareness about the latest applications of digital technologies in wildlife conservation and trade.

“The celebrations highlight how such technologies and services can drive wildlife conservation and human-wildlife coexistence, now and for future generations, in an increasingly connected world,” it said.

The day served as a reminder of the urgent need to fight against wildlife exploitation, pollution and human-induced global warming, which have detrimental environmental and social impacts.

The UN said it acknowledged that billions of people benefitted from wild plant and animal species for food, energy, materials, medicine, recreation and many other vital contributions to human well-being.

According to the National Science and Technology Forum (NSTF), “the increasing global biodiversity crisis, with a million species of plants and animals facing extinction, threatens these essential eco-services. Every year more wild animals are driven closer to extinction, and elaborate criminal networks generate billions yearly from illegal wildlife trade which decreases species numbers and threatens national and regional security”.

It said the decline in nature and climate change was interconnected. “Climate change is likely to become the major cause of mass biodiversity loss in the coming decades. Rising temperatures are already driving mass mortality events, as well as the extinctions of entire species.”

The UN and NSTF are urging all citizens to understand that wildlife mortality is not just an environmental issue but an economic, social and ethical issues and should be addressed together with the UN’s Sustainable Development Goals. “Without conservation, various species will cease to exist, leading to a decline in the genetic variety, number of species, individual organisms within a given species, and biological communities within a defined geographic area,” said the NSTF.

The forum added that digital technologies had made research, communication, tracking, DNA analysis and many other aspects of wildlife conservation more efficient and accurate, and this could be of great assistance in conservation.

“The technologies include artificial intelligence (AI) powered solutions such as apps that help distinguish the different types of flora and fauna in the same species, advanced drones roaming large areas to track and locate wildlife and breeding or nesting sites, and earth observation through satellite technology. There are advanced tracking systems, and real-time data analytics, allowing conservationists to identify, monitor, track and ultimately preserve wildlife,” added the NSTF. –