Conservation has seen a renewed interest over the past few years. With this in mind, let’s take a look at why conservation is so important, and how technology can help the cause.
The Balance Between Entertainment and Conservation
Safaris are a popular experience that allows tourists to become acquainted with local wildlife. In the spirit of conservation, more safari experiences offer virtual safaris that utilize live streaming technology, so that viewers can watch the animals live, but also respect their privacy. In addition, there are several TV shows that focus on the importance of conservation, whilst also entertaining audiences. The CBS series Extraordinary World with Jeff Corbin is just one example of entertaining TV that also highlights animal rights issues and environmental conservation.
Similarly, players can find a range of online slots at Paddy Power that are set in wild, diverse virtual environments, providing animal-centric entertainment without impacting their physical environs. Amazon Island Megaways creates an immersive jungle with monkeys, leopards, and blue parrots, whilst Wild Wild Bison uses the iconic animal to make the desert plains of the US more engaging and believable. Africa and African safaris are also virtualized in this way, with games like Silver Lion, Rhino Rampage, and Stampede using the iconography of local wildlife for an authentic themed virtual casino experience.
This highlights the push towards conscious consumerism within entertainment, striking a balance between engagement and pressing the reality of real issues like conservation. With this in mind, there has been a rise in conservation efforts around the world.
Conservation Investment Initiatives
Africa is home to one-fifth of all biodiversity in the world. That said, the UN has reported that old-growth forests are being cut down or dying at a rate of more than 4 million hectares every year. This rate is particularly alarming, as it is twice the average for the rest of the world. In addition to this, endangered species are also being reduced in size due to a wealth of issues. For example, the population of rhinos has been reduced to 5% of what it was just 3 decades ago.
With this in mind, 196 countries have committed to protecting 30% of land and sea globally by 2030. But, this crucially comes at quite a cost – a cost that some country’s economies may not be able to afford. As figures from Forbes suggest, there is a yearly deficit of $830 billion for such conservation efforts.
To plug the gap, this money is largely found through private investors. Take the Africa’s Most Endangered Species (AMES) Foundation. This non-profit organization is funded by entrepreneurs, CEOs, and so on, to invest in new technologies for profitable and scalable biodiversity conservation.
Sustainable Agriculture Technologies
One of the key trends to come out of this renewed interest in conservation technologies is sustainability. This is why the International Fund for Animal Welfare (IFAW) is working to promote climate-smart conservation practices using sustainable agriculture technologies.
This involves using satellite imagery and GPS to optimize the usage of water and chemical treatments, reducing waste and damage to the environment, as well as using smart technologies to optimize the management of water, livestock, fertilizers, and pesticides.
These techniques not only help to preserve the environment but also the ecosystems themselves. It helps to manage the impact of climate change through a holistic approach to mitigate the decline in animal populations.
And there you have it – by using technologies and investing in modern approaches to conservation, this could have a lasting impact on the future of the world’s diverse environments.