UNDP Digital Guides

Introduction

The power of digital technology lies in its ability to transform the way we think, act and create value. Digitalization is the foundation for countries to achieve the major shifts outlined in the UNDP Nature Pledge. SMART monitoring of biodiversity and change of state is critical to promote environmental justice for a value shift. Without transparency data and international data standards, financial mechanisms like biodiversity credits will not be possible. How can we ensure commodities traceability without a tracking system?

The Nature Pledge comes at the time of the Kunming-Montreal Global Biodiversity Framework (also known as The Biodiversity Plan), adopted during Convention on Biological Diversity (CBD) COP15 following a four year consultation and negotiation process. This historic plan, which supports the achievement of the Sustainable Development Goals, sets out an ambitious pathway to reach the global vision of a world living in harmony with nature by 2050. Among the Framework’s key elements are 4 goals for 2050 and 23 targets for 2030. Under the Nature Pledge, UNDP is committed to supporting countries to achieve these goals and targets, including the use and role of digital and data.

Implementation of all the Global Biodiversity Plan goals and targets involve optimal use of digital and data. The Plan explicitly state the use of digital technology in several areas, from the application of digital sequence information on genetic resources (Goal C) to the technical and scientific cooperation and access to and transfer of technology (Goal D). Other key mentions include the importance of joint technology development and joint scientific research programmes (Target 20); the need to ensure that the best available data, information and knowledge, are accessible to decision makers, practitioners and the public (Target 21); and the acknowledgement of knowledge generation, metadata, data infrastructures and data standards.

On the other hand, digital technology can also bring negative impacts such as exacerbating inequality, increasing greenhouse gas emissions and increasing the spread of misinformation. It is especially important to work closely with, and ensure safeguarding measures for indigenous people, women in developing countries and local communities who are also among those most likely to furthest behind in digital adoption. The digital divide and its impact on various groups must be carefully considered. Local or small-scale actors, whether in rural or urban environments or anywhere in between, often lack access to essential resources needed to exercise control over the issues affecting their lives. The global digital divide continues to widen – while most of North America and Western Europe enjoy nearly 90 per cent digital access there are significant disparities across Latin America and Asia which have high adoption rates in urban areas but low digital access in the more remote, rural areas. Meanwhile Africa reaches over 30 per cent adoption in only a few areas. In least developed countries men are 50% more likely to be online than women. In addition, rapidly evolving new technology such as digital sequencing, very high resolution satellite imagery or Artificial Intelligence can have unintended negative impact or risks of exacerbating inequality.

Therefore, it is equally important for UNDP to identify these risks and advise the countries on risk mitigation measures. UNDP takes an inclusive, whole-of-society digital transformation approach to channel digital technology toward a society-wide green transition, while mitigating the unintended negative impacts.

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Key messages

Nature underpins over half of the Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs): We depend on nature for food, water, clean air and ecosystem services such as carbon capture, as well as for recreation and cultural heritage. Nature is the foundation of human wellbeing and prosperity. It has the power to propel the eradication of poverty and support sustainable development.
Kunming-Montreal Global Biodiversity Framework (also known as the Global Biodiversity Plan) explicitly mentions data and digital technologies. For example digital sequence information on genetic resources, scientific cooperation and technology transfer, the need to ensure the best available data, information and knowledge are available, and acknowledge data infrastructure, data standards and knowledge management networks.
UNDP is contributing to the achievement of the GBF through the Nature Pledge, using digital as a lever for acceleration and proactively sharing lessons learnt through South-south cooperation and knowledge management.
UNDP’s Nature Pledge aspires to put nature at the centre of development through three shifts: a shift in how we value nature and change narratives to place nature as asset for development; a shift in the way finance flows toward biodiversity and nature-positive investments; and a shift in policy and practice to mainstream nature into national development plans and sectoral plans, accelerate terrestrial and marine protected areas and other effective conservation measures, restoration and empowerment of indigenous communities and women leadership.

Digital transformation is fundamental to Nature Pledge and the work we do on Nature, as the power of digital technology lies in its ability to transform the way we think, act and create value. Instead of pursuing a limited definition of efficiency – doing the wrong things better – UNDP suggests channelling the power of digital to change the way we understand and interact with nature, empowering local communities, the people who are impacted the most by nature degradation.
- UNDP is supporting countries to leverage on digital and data in below ways.
- Supporting countries on digital strategies and roadmaps as countries upgrade their National Biodiversity Strategies and Action and Plans (NBSAPs). Given the complex and vast amount of data required for enhanced planning, monitoring and enabling new nature-based business models, while integrating with Climate goals or Nationally Determined Contributions (NDC), it is essential to take a holistic digital transformation and Digital Public Infrastructure (DPI) approach.
- Spatial Data Analytics for Planning, Monitoring and Reporting, and investment decision making, including enabling access to free, open data on the UN Biodiversity Lab.
- Traceability for sustainable food systems. We promote the use of digital technologies to ensure transparent and traceable supply chains for the commodities most linked to ecosystem degradation such as beef, palm oil, soy, fisheries and cocoa.
- SMART monitoring of wildlife and biodiversity. UNDP encourages the use of digital technologies such as IoT sensors, remote sensing, citizen science and Artificial Intelligence to facilitate near-real-time or large-scale tracking, monitoring and alerting illegal activities.
- Enable the economic and finance shift, access to biodiversity finance. Emerging digital technologies that support both the transparent packaging of natural resources into tradeable securities and the monitoring, reporting and verification (MRV) of impact, enable new ways of connecting nature conservation with investments in local communities, human development and social progress. This also catalyses access to innovative biodiversity finance mechanisms and channelling investment to nature.
These benefits of digitalization require a whole-of-society approach and must be based on the “leave no one behind” principle, as more than one billion people are still not connected to the internet, most of them residing in developing countries and rural communities. New technologies such as digital sequencing and artificial intelligence require careful monitoring and risk management in order not to exacerbate inequalities or to mitigate unintended negative impact.
We would like to emphasize the vital importance of ensuring that data, information and knowledge, are accessible to decision makers, practitioners and the public, especially Indigenous People and Local Communities. Addressing the information asymmetry, and empowerment of these actors to be the owner of technology and data is critical for diversified, localized and community-based decision-making and biodiversity-friendly bioeconomy.

Opportunities and risks

This section outlines the society-level opportunities and risks associated with digital in the context of the preservation of nature. These should serve as a foundation for developing programme-level theories of change and provide inspiration to programme teams on how digital can support or undermine programme activities relevant to the natural world.  

Reducing inequalities and the gender divide by enabling all members of society to access technologies related to nature, and by driving smallholder and MSME income and protections. This leads to more equitable opportunities, closing digital gender gaps, economic growth and women’s economic empowerment.
Increased accountability (both to and from local communities), transparency and more equitable access and benefit sharing that digital technologies can offer.
Strengthening rule of law related to territorial mapping, thereby combatting poaching, illegal logging, drug trafficking and wildlife crime.
Accelerating sustainable shifts such as deforestation-free commodities and sustainable supply chains through enhanced traceability within supply chains (including genetic DNA analysis used for tracing illegal logging and wildlife crime) or direct access to market for sustainable suppliers.
Empowering communities using digital tools for gender equitable land titling and the mapping of territorial jurisdictions; uses for this technology include climate and carbon trading schemes such as UN-REDD, CBD targets and UNFCCC carbon markets.
Unlocking green financing mechanisms that are made scalable as a result of the decentralised nature and reduced transaction cost of new technologies, such as the Payment for Environmental Services (PES), green bonds or biodiversity credits.

Potentially unsustainable use of natural resources can be a consequence of improved harvesting techniques, for example: overfishing due to better sonar location of fish stocks, or increased poaching facilitated by infrared night vision.
Misinformation exacerbated by digital technologies or created using them (deep fakes), including falsified land titles leading to land grabs and dispossession.
Some digital technologies have high costs and barriers to access, making them unavailable to those who need their outputs most. A community ownership approach can help increase access
Technology requires a strong regulatory environment to prevent privacy violations, exacerbation of inequalities, environmental harm or other unethical practices.
Technology can exacerbate inequality if it is not equally and equitably available. This can be prevented by targeted support, training, access, and finance.
The global extraction of rare earth elements and other precious metals, such as cobalt and lithium, is growing steadily to meet increasing demand. Extraction often damages the environment. Further, this growth also contributes to the mounting issue of electronic waste. Implementing right-to-repair legislation and other similar measures is crucial to address both the responsible sourcing of these materials and the effective management of e-waste, ensuring a more sustainable approach to technology production and consumption.

Programming suggestions

Digital and Data Strategy and Infrastructure Support for Biodiversity and ecosystem goals

Digital system infrastructure and a clear digital transformation strategy for the biodiversity and relevant sectors is foundational to accelerate the achievement of the GBF and other multi-national environmental agreements. UNDP support will move away from approaching digital as only of relevance to IT system development or the application of stand-alone solutions, and fully leverage on the power of digital transformation to change the way society values and interacts with nature. It is important to identify digitalization needs (which may be expressed as ‘GIS capacity’ or ‘biodiversity data collection’ needs) and apply UNDP’s Whole-of-society Digital Transformation framework to recommend a holistic approach, including not only system development but an interoperable infrastructure, data governance, policy or regulation to support innovative data collection, private sector engagement, and partnerships. This programming area is fundamental, cutting across all three Nature Pledge shifts and should be considered a first step in all large-scale projects.

In this programming area, UNDP provides below support:

Digital Readiness Assessment for a green transition and/or the biodiversity sector to systematically assess the country’s need on policy, government capacity, connectivity, private sector, people and Digital Public Infrastructure (DPI). The assessment can be a prerequisite for a digital transformation strategy for the sector or large-scale system development projects.
Capacity building on the application of data standards to the various and evolving biodiversity reporting needs.
Development of biodiversity data systems or geospatial data systems, with a digital transformation view and interoperability and accompanying data governance and data standards.
Engage in policy discussions to identify non-conventional partners and contributors to various components of the digital strategy, as well as to identify risks and mitigation measures for newly evolving technologies.
Participate in national and international discussions on harmonised data standards across National Biodiversity Strategies and Action Plans (NBSAPs).

Spatial Data Analytics for Planning, Monitoring, Reporting and Investment Decisions

Spatial data is a central component necessary for mapping SDG priorities at the national level, offering measurable data-informed priorities and plans. It is key to improve the transparency for the Global Biodiversity Framework. Spatial data often combines powerful technologies, government planning processes, and civil society mobilisation. Map technologies can combine GPS coordinates from hand-held devices as part of territorial identification. This can contribute to verifying UNFCCC and CBD targets.

Under this programming area, UNDP provides support to:

Geospatial information system (GIS) technical capacity building, including for youth and women.
Support capacity building to use spatial data for integrated land and sea-use planning. This involves the use of earth observation and satellite imagery, remote sensing (e.g., drones) and IoT sensors.
Use spatial data to map indigenous territories and lands as part of the “30x30 target” to protect 30% of land and seas by the year 2030.
Provide spatial data on key information relevant to rights and livelihoods, such as access to data on carbon storage potential, land tenure, territorial planning, jurisdictional governance frameworks and more through the open data platform UN Biodiversity Lab and the Essential Life Support Assessment (ELSA) methodology.
Strengthen water security through digital technologies by analysing satellite data; overlaying watersheds and partnering with local water user organisations to monitor and validate data models and assumptions.

Sustainable Food and Agriculture Commodity Supply Chain

To ensure food security for future generations, agricultural practices must become more sustainable, with support from innovative digital technologies. Emerging areas such as artificial intelligence (AI), blockchain and the IoT hold the potential to revolutionise food and agricultural systems globally, especially by using data to support improved agriculture information services, early warning systems and the traceability of commodities. While it is tempting to apply cutting edge technologies to a part of the value chain, it is recommended to always consider digitalization opportunities as part of larger policy and practice around food and agriculture, making use of UNDP’s experience in talking to all relevant stakeholders. It is important to position UNDP as a useful partner for “ESG” sustainable investments, as UNDP can help reduce risk with respect to governance concerns within supply chains through transparent traceability mechanisms. (Also see Digital Guide for Climate)

In this programming area, UNDP provides support to:

Catalyse deforestation-free commodities, through traceability mechanisms for agricultural products, non-timber forest products and traceable fisheries.
Communicate the origin of products (farm to) to the end consumer to help connect producers and consumers.
Promote digital financial inclusion, insurance and market connections to enhance the economic well-being of smallholder farmers and SMEs. By improving digital financial literacy and collaborating with the private sector on financing packages and mobile money solutions, we can empower these groups to better manage their business operations. Initiatives like smart insurance can provide tailored coverage, further supporting the growth and stability of smallholder farmers and SMEs, including women smallholders, women’s producer groups, collectives, and women-led SMEs.
Improve access to market data and services: This includes through low-cost insurance and market and price intelligence. Use digital solutions to connect with remote farmers and improve access to services.
Use precision agriculture, water and other ecosystem management with IoT sensors and drones.

SMART Environmental Monitoring and Management at scale

While the use of digital technologies has been advancing in environmental conservation, such as the use of drones for monitoring illegal activities, it has not reached the transformational level at ’10X’ speed, efficiency or scale yet. Automated and scalable rapid assessment technology can help improve, for example, large-scale biodiversity monitoring, spatial planning of connectivity between ecosystems for restoration efforts and for corridors to provide habitats, and bring in scientific evidence to bottom-up advocacy efforts by demonstrating the ecological values of forest areas to legally defend these areas in the courts. It is important to leverage on the wealth of traditional and indigenous knowledge that can strengthen conservation efforts through the braiding of knowledge systems as recognized by the IPBES and UNFCCC Local Communities and Indigenous Peoples Platform (LCIPP), bringing the technology to the hands of these people. Robotics, drones, IoT sensors, acoustic data, eDNA, camera traps, light traps and Artificial Intelligence (AI) can drastically change the way we value and monitor nature, with increased accountability (both to and from local communities), transparency and opening ways for more equitable access and benefit sharing.

Under this programming area, UNDP provides support to:

Establish SMART environmental monitoring technology, such as IoT sensors, camera and light traps, acoustic, satellite imagery for wildlife tracking in protected areas, leveraging on global partnerships and combined with engagement of local communities in nature tracking (e.g., through CyberTracker or EarthRanger), for large scale protected area monitoring, restoration projects.
Leverage on rapid and novel biodiversity survey technologies such as eDNA, drones and AI for large-scale surveying for better understanding of the biodiversity in areas, for planning restoration projects or establishing baselines for protected areas / OECM.
Use detection technologies to reduce and avoid illegal logging and poaching. Implement effective terrestrial, marine, and wildlife management through digital detection.
Leverage the decentralised nature of digital technologies for citizen science and peer-to-peer verification, including by mapping the impact on natural resources after disasters such as cyclones and earthquakes.
Utilize monitoring technologies for the MRV of various financial mechanisms such as PES schemes and biodiversity credit, carbon credit.

Enable the finance and economic shift, access to Biodiversity Finance

Investment in nature experienced significant growth throughout 2022. According to Environmental Finance, thematic biodiversity funds have increased threefold in the last year. By the end of 2022, the combined assets under management of funds or strategies focused on biodiversity rose to $984 million, up from $313 million in 2021. As companies establish biodiversity funds or develop debt instruments to finance biodiversity programmes at scale, technology can improve efficiencies. For example, nature certificates., as advocated by the UNDP-supported Biodiversity Credit Alliance (BCA), can be fully developed by embedding digital technology. Similarly, digital technology can bring scalability to incentives such as Access and Benefit Sharing (ABS), performance-based payments (e.g. PES, watershed payments for the provision of clean water). In addition, we can consider the merits of developing decentralised data exchanges that pair open-source and commercially enhanced technological capabilities. It should be noted that a growing digital frontier of nature-related data has resulted in a diverse set of online platforms and tools tailored for specific uses. These platforms and tools have different aims, audiences and information. UNDP is well positioned to work with business associations in developing countries to help them embed technologies in their business reporting and decision making. and transform where appropriate. This programming area directly contributes to the Nature Pledge economic and financial shift.

Under this programming area, UNDP provides support to:

Encourage reporting and disclosing of risks and impacts on nature by the private sector through data standardization and data sharing policies. Standardized, credible, useful data is required to underpin global nature reporting standards that enable companies and financial institutions to report and act on nature-related risks and opportunities.
Participate in the global discussion on Biodiversity Credits. The BCA aims to learn from the mistakes made in the carbon credit market development: many of those principles, whilst following science, did not account for scalability, including with respect to the design and deployment of technology like Distributed Ledger Technology (DLT) in its architecture. BCA’s goal is to integrate verification within Web3 / DLT policy engines, facilitating a scalable and trusted biodiversity credits market.
Develop digital systems for the management of national PES schemes, using open source codes as Digital Public Good and leveraging on foundational Digital Public Infrastructure (Digital ID, digital payment, data exchange), as well as satellite imagery and various ground verification tools (see Programming Area 4).
Utilize various digital tools, as seen in the Programming Area 4, to enhance transparency in conservation and restoration activities or nature-based solutions.

Digital stakeholders for Nature

It is critical to think of digital interventions as a part of broader theory of changes, which may encompass national biodiversity policies, strategies and green sector interventions.

Key stakeholders for digital:

Ministries and government agencies responsible for environmental regulation, policies, and conservation
This includes coordination with various governmental bodies: The Ministry of Environment, Forestry, Fishery, Natural Resources, Agriculture and Rural Development, and related governmental agencies. Collaboration with these stakeholders ensures not only that the project complies with relevant laws and receives necessary approvals, but also that it facilitates the integration of a digital perspective into forthcoming strategies, policies and regulations pertaining to nature. This integration, in turn, expedites the implementation of digital solutions.
Ministries and government agencies responsible for IT or digital transformation
Including government institutions responsible for the national digital transformation, connectivity and/or information technology experts is important for the successful design and implementation of projects, especially if it involves large scale digital system development. Digital and IT experts can often offer guidance on the integration of digital solutions with existing national data platforms, advise on digital related issues such as data privacy, cyber security or data ownership and ensure the project's technical viability.
Indigenous people and local communities
Communities play a vital role in nature conservation efforts and can provide local knowledge and perspectives. Consulting them ensures that the project respects and reflects the values, needs and concerns of the people living in the area. Local communities can play an important role in data collection, using a citizen science approach.
Universities, research institutions, accelerator and innovation hubs
By fostering partnerships with research institutions, nature experts can tap into cutting-edge innovations. Research institutions can provide valuable insights into local ecosystems, biodiversity and environmental considerations. Their expertise ensures that the project aligns with scientific principles, contributes positively to ecological preservation and contributes to reducing risks.
Environmental NGOs, CSOs, umbrella organizations, and advocacy groups:
Because they are often at the forefront of environmental initiatives, collaborating with these organizations to implement a natural digital project can provide additional resources, expertise and support. It also helps ensure that the project aligns with broader conservation goals and would be welcomed in the communities.
Private sector, investors, funders
Researching and identifying potential private sector partners and investors who have a track record in funding nature digital projects can help generate funding, data or in-kind support. Their input can also help shape the project proposal. As investors often have a vested interest in the success of the project, they may actively support marketing and promotional efforts, helping to increase the visibility of your project. Investors may also spot hidden risks and opportunities to scale up the project.
Space agencies
In addition to earth observation data collaboration, space agencies often have accumulated expertise on environmental science, remote sensing and big data management. Partnering with these stakeholders offers unique benefits and often gives access to advanced satellite technology, providing high-resolution Earth observation data. This data can be invaluable for monitoring and understanding natural ecosystems and environmental changes. It may provide opportunities for technology transfer, allowing your project to benefit from advancements in sensor technology, data analysis and other relevant fields. Their projects can provide insights into global environmental issues.

Programming examples

Laboratoire de biodiversité des Nations Unies et ELSA

Le Laboratoire de biodiversité des Nations Unies est une collaboration de plus de 30 partenaires, réunis par l'intermédiaire du PNUD, du Programme des Nations Unies pour l'environnement et du Secrétariat de la Convention sur la diversité biologique, afin de fournir des données spatiales de haute qualité aux gouvernements et aux autres utilisateurs. En 2022, plus de 44 000 utilisateurs de plus de 140 pays ont utilisé le portail pour accéder à plus de 400 couches de données. Le portail, accrédité en tant que bien public numérique par la Digital Public Goods Alliance, est également une fondation permettant aux gouvernements de développer un »Carte de Hope» — une carte consolidée indiquant où protéger, restaurer et gérer la nature dans un pays afin d'atteindre les objectifs nationaux de développement durable tributaires de la nature. À ce jour, 14 pays ont élaboré leur propre carte de l'espoir.

L'environnement

Nature

Papouasie-Nouvelle-Guinée

Dans le cadre du Centre de gestion des ressources naturelles de la PNG, une boîte à outils numérique d'outils open source visant à améliorer la prise de décisions en matière de ressources naturelles, l'application mobile de collecte de données Lukim Gather améliore le suivi et la collecte de données pour les communautés isolées des zones protégées. L'application est gratuite et a été conçue pour les utilisateurs ayant des taux d'alphabétisation variables afin de collecter des informations sociales et environnementales géoréférencées, y compris des photos et des enregistrements audio hors ligne. Une fois téléchargées sur le serveur basé sur le cloud, les données peuvent être partagées et filtrées de manière dynamique, et des cartes peuvent être créées pour sensibiliser et rechercher des financements auprès des donateurs.

L'environnement

Nature

Défi de l'innovation océanique

L'Ocean Innovation Challenge (OCI) introduit une approche novatrice pour accélérer les progrès vers l'ODD 14 (vie sous-marine), en encourageant les solutions entrepreneuriales pour la conservation des océans et des côtes. En tirant parti de la numérisation, l'OCI vise à identifier, financer et encadrer des initiatives innovantes qui soutiennent des moyens de subsistance durables et favorisent les progrès de « l'économie bleue ». En donnant la priorité aux innovations transférables et évolutives, y compris celles qui englobent les dimensions techniques, politiques, économiques et financières, l'OCI cherche à amplifier son impact catalytique, contribuant efficacement à la réalisation des cibles de l'ODD14. Soulignant le rôle central de la numérisation dans la transformation des secteurs maritime et terrestre, le projet nécessite une synergie de percées techniques et de cadres politiques de pointe, ainsi que de solides incitations financières et économiques.