Connecting People and Planet: Exploring Digital Innovation in Wildlife Conservation
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United Nations World Wildlife Day (WWD) is held every year on 3 March to celebrate wild animals and plants. At GIZ, we strive for improved conservation and human-wildlife-coexistence across the globe as we recognize the intrinsic value and the unique roles and contributions of wildlife to people and planet.
The WWD 2024 Theme is Connecting People and Planet: Exploring Digital Innovation in Wildlife Conservation. The Global Projects “International Alliance against Health Risks in Wildlife Trade” and “Partnership against Wildlife Crime in Africa and Asia” both work with digital solutions to improve wildlife conservation.
Lao Wildlife Heroes
In Laos, illegal wildlife trade poses a threat to already endangered species and health risks to humans and animals alike. The “Partnership against Wildlife Crime” supports the online campaign Lao Wildlife Heroes that raises awareness for conservation and against wildlife crime in order to reduce illegal wildlife trade in Laos. The campaign features civil society role models to promote key messages and has so far reached more than 1 million people.
OHAWE
Wildlife trade also harbours risks to health and biodiversity in Indonesia. This is why the “Alliance against Health Risks in Wildlife Trade” is supporting the project ‘Application of a One Health Approach to Raise Wildlife Protection Awareness (OHAWE)’ with its partner organisation One Health Collaborating Centre (OHCC) of Udayana University in Indonesia. The aim of the project is to educate children about the risks of wildlife trade. Five illustrated children’s books were designed and published in digital and printed versions in different native languages. In addition to distributing the books in schools, further digital communication tools for awareness raising are considered.
Trade in Wildlife Information eXchange (TWIX)
The TWIX platform is an online tool available to enforcement and management officials responsible for the implementation of international wildlife trade regulations, helping connect officials across borders and allowing them to rapidly share information and expertise. The “Partnership against Wildlife Crime” supports the TWIX platforms in Central and Southern Africa, which have already contributed to substantial seizures of illegally traded wildlife products. Currently a TWIX app is being developed to further facilitate the international exchange of expertise and information on wildlife trade law enforcement.
These are just three of many examples of how digital innovations at GIZ can contribute to wildlife conservation. Feel free to share your digital solutions for conservation with us on this year’s World Wildlife Day by #ConnectingPeopleAndPlanet!
Authors: Tibor Boehm, Ann-Kristin Konzak, Mascha Kaddori (GIZ)