News: An Innovative Approach to Environmental Monitoring

Why are science, technology, and innovation essential to achieving the Sustainable Development Goals? How can we make proven solutions more readily available to those who need them most? To highlight promising innovations at the frontlines of global development challenges, the United Nations Economic and Social Council is convening the first annual Multi-Stakeholder Forum on Science, Technology, and Innovation for the Sustainable Development Goals (STI Forum) from June 6 to 7, 2016.

After receiving more than 270 applications, the STI Forum selected 12 innovations to share with civil society, private sector, academic, and government stakeholders. The Biodiversity and Watersheds Improved for Stronger Economy and Ecosystem Resilience (B+WISER) program is proud to feature its LAWIN Forest and Biodiversity Protection System as one of those 12 innovations.

Funded by USAID (in partnership with the Philippines Department of Environment and Natural Resources) and implemented by Chemonics, the B+WISER program developed LAWIN to monitor the Philippines’ vulnerable forest and biodiversity conditions. LAWIN equips patrollers with a smartphone application for geo-referenced data collection across nearly 800,000 hectares of protected areas in Luzon, Visayas, and Mindanao. LAWIN employs GIS software to inform conservation efforts with actionable reports that visualize hotspots for biodiversity loss and deforestation.