Protect, restore and
promote the sustainable use of terrestrial ecosystems

Enhancing scientific knowledge with digital solutions to sustainably manage forests and combat desertification and biodiversity loss

Power of digital

Digital solutions that employ environmental and agricultural data can be used for monitoring life on land, scenario-planning, and boosting the efficiency of land use

Opportunities

• Satellite-based monitoring, increasing accountability for conservation
• Big data to analyse trends and plan mitigation strategies for pollution
• More efficient use of land

Potential risks & digital harms

• Environmental impact of digital technologies and ICT components (emissions, deforestation, toxic waste)

Rainforest Connection

Rainforest Connection is a scalable acoustic monitoring system combined with AI to halt illegal logging and poaching. Solar-powered acoustic devices transmit audio to the cloud, from which data is analysed and classified by AI to identify signals like chainsaws and gunshots

Examples of countries implemented

Peru, Brazil, Tanzania, Indonesia, Poland, Costa Rica, and Ecuador

Power of digital

1. Protects biodiversity by monitoring acoustic signals
2. Solar-powered acoustic devices upload data to the cloud for global access
3. AI analyses the data to detect potential illegal activity

“This tool is very helpful, as we no longer need to do monthly patrols on foot”
_{Babak Jas, Forest Patrol Officer, Sirukam}

UN Biodiversity Lab

The UN Biodiversity Lab lets users generate maps and apply analytic tools to guide local and national planning and action that will benefit nature, climate and sustainable development

Examples of countries implemented

Costa Rica, Ecuador, Liberia, Peru, South Africa, and Uganda

Power of digital

1. 400+ global spatial data layers on nature, climate, and sustainable development
2. Enables policy-makers to take action for people and the planet, and Parties to achieve their goals under the Rio Convention
3. Secure workspace for users and countries to upload their own data

“I appreciate the openness of the platform. By sharing across organizations, we can unlock additional ways to use the same data and maximize return on investment”
_{Imai Jen-La Planta, Green Climate Fund}