Wildlife conservation on Web3 trail

CHENNAI: Did you know that blockchain technology can aid in the preservation of tigers and other enlarged species? Blockchain offers a tangible solution in the fight to save endangered species due to its decentralised and transparent nature, it has the potential to revolutionise wildlife conservation efforts and create a more secure and accountable system for safeguarding the most vulnerable animals on the planet.

In fact, as per the Living Planet Index, animal populations have decreased by an estimated 69 per cent since 1970, marking the sixth mass extinction event in the world’s recorded history. A minimum of 38,500 species are currently estimated to be threatened, with 16,300 considered endangered. Poaching, illegal wildlife trade, habitat destruction, and inadequate enforcement of regulations are just some of the contributing factors to this crisis.

By enabling the secure exchange of data, research findings, and best practices on a distributed and immutable ledger, blockchain facilitates collaboration amongst stakeholders involved in wildlife conservation. Blockchain also provides secure data distribution for innovative conservation projects, such as monitoring wildlife over vast areas and tracing the supply chain of animal species.

The Green Chain Protocol, an initiative by the India Blockchain Alliance, is building a Web3 project that uses blockchain technology to monitor and verify reforestation projects, The platform will enable NGOs, governments, and local communities to monitor reforestation projects in a transparent and open-source manner, providing an efficient way to verify the effectiveness of reforestation and conservation projects. Forestation initiatives will be registered on the public network with regular monitoring data collected from sample plots and stored on their public and distributed ledger using AI and remote sensing.

A network of stakeholders, including park rangers, tourists, and NGOs, will play a crucial role in the collection and validation of data for the monitoring of endangered species using comparable monitoring instruments.

Using blockchain, an immutable and transparent ledger of all supply chain transactions is established, from origin point to final destination. By tagging and monitoring wildlife products using blockchain, authorities can ensure that all everything is sourced legally and ethically.

Increasing transparency to trace the origin of illicit goods, identifying criminal networks, and taking preventative measures making it significantly challenging for poachers and smugglers to launder their goods into markets. Each step of the process, from extraction to the sale of legal products, would be recorded on the blockchain, allowing authorities to monitor the flow of illegal goods and target their root causes.

Through tokenisation, blockchain can create a digital representation of animals that contain information regarding the animal’s health, location, and even genetic information thereby improving the monitoring and care of endangered species.

Blockchain, no doubt, offers a distinct opportunity to revolutionise wildlife conservation. It aids efforts to safeguard endangered species by enhancing supply chain transparency, securing digital identities, enabling direct funding, and fostering collaboration.

However, it is essential to recognise that blockchain alone cannot address all the problems facing wildlife conservation and should be viewed as a tool that, when incorporated with existing conservation strategies and regulatory frameworks, can significantly strengthen efforts to combat poaching, preserve habitats, and protect our planet’s astounding biodiversity. With the proper combination of technology, political will, and international cooperation, we can harness the power of blockchain to protect endangered species for future generations.