Digital Disruption and the Future of Conservation, concluded in 2023, was one of Unearthodox's three projects under the umbrella theme 'The Future of Conservation' (2021-2023). These projects culminated in the Unearthodox Learning Festival in October 2023. For insights and information on each exploration, please visit our Resource Library.
How can conservation NGOs improve practices and stay relevant in an increasingly disruptive digital landscape?
The rapid advancement of digital transformation, fuelled by the COVID-19 pandemic and the mainstreaming of technologies such as blockchain and Artificial Intelligence (AI), presents both challenges and opportunities for conservation non-governmental organisations (NGOs).
Web 3.0 applications are opening up new avenues for fundraising and engagement, whilst providing tools which can impact the democratisation and transparency of conservation practices.
The appetite of conservationists to engage with Web 3.0 was revealed during the Gamifying Nature Conservation initiative, sparking investigations into the knowledge gap and acting as the catalyst for this project.
It was quickly identified that younger generations are utilising Web 3.0 tools and consuming digital information with ease, with growing online communities possessing the expertise and drive to bridge the divide between conservation and digital spheres.
These digital communities are not only adept in utilising cutting-edge technologies, but they also exhibit new motivations and a strong inclination towards philanthropy that have yet to be fully understood or leveraged by the conservation sector.
The "Digital Disruption and the Future of Conservation" initiative is exploring the opportunities and challenges presented by emerging digital technologies to support the ongoing relevance of conservation NGOs.
It aspires to promote cross-sectoral conversations and collaborations, whilst strengthening the conservation sector's capacity to absorb and utilise innovative concepts.
The project will adopt a systemic lens to explore how engagement with these technologies can affect inclusivity in nature conservation, with the ultimate aim of amplifying effective and equitable global conservation efforts.
Digital disruption for conservation toolkit
A December 2022 release by the Digital disruption and future of conservation initiative. The toolkit is designed to provide conservation practitioners with an introduction to blockchain concepts and their potential use for nature conservation. It showcases existing examples of how Web 3.0 is being mobilised for conservation efforts, whilst exploring potential future use cases and the critical questions to ask when navigating the Web 3.0 for conservation space.
Exploring possible futures for conservation NGOs
A March 2022 analysis report by the Luc Hoffmann Institute authored by Barney Tallack and Tosca Bruno-van Vijfeijken. The report acknowledges two lenses involving digital innovation (‘Embracing digital technology and data-driven approaches’ and ‘A bridge between the blockchain and local community conservation’) by which future conservation NGOs could position themselves.
Exploring the potential of gamification to finance nature conservation: a new report
A September 2021 report by the Luc Hoffmann Institute exploring how storytelling and gamification can derive value from, and for, wildlife.
Gamifying conservation: What could go wrong?
A September 2021 thought piece by Sasha Sebright, MPhil in Conservation Leadership candidate at the University of Cambridge, exploring the unintended adverse consequences of gamifying nature conservation.
