The Tech4Nature Award: What It Is & How You Can Apply
Are you passionate about using technology to protect nature? The Tech4Nature Award is your opportunity to showcase how digital tools can make a difference in conservation efforts worldwide.
This Award is part of Tech4Nature, a global partnership launched in 2020 by Huawei and the International Union for Conservation of Nature (IUCN) to scale up success in nature conservation through technological innovation.
Tech4Nature is aligned with Huawei's TECH4ALL digital inclusion and sustainability initiative and the IUCN Green List.
This post contains information about the award and links for you to apply under the "How to apply" section. For assistance with your application, please send an email to: Tech4NatureAward@iucn.org
What is the Tech4Nature Award?
The Tech4Nature Award recognises creative and impactful uses of digital technology in nature conservation. Whether you’ve developed a tool that helps monitor wildlife populations, manage protected or conserved areas, or improve the status of species conservation, this Award is here to shine a spotlight on your work.
The Award is open to anyone who is using appropriate technology and digital solutions to drive real-world change in the way we make informed actionable decision making on the status of species and their conservation.
Choose one of three categories
Tech Innovation for Area-based Conservation: Recognising outstanding technology and digital Solutions that contribute significantly to the conservation of natural ecosystems, biodiversity, and wildlife. This category supports the Kunming-Montreal Global Biodiversity Framework – Target 3, which aims to conserve 30% of land, waters, and seas by 2030, through innovative digital tools or applications.
Species Conservation: Highlighting initiatives that leverage technology to protect, conserve, and recover threatened species listed on the IUCN Red List. This category emphasises the importance of addressing major threats to species and improving their conservation status through the use of advanced technological methods.
NatureTech Stewards: Celebrating the role of Indigenous Peoples, local communities, and other organisations as stewards of biodiversity. This category recognises efforts to spearhead species and area-based conservation through inclusive, ethical, and community-driven approaches.
There will also be special recognition for collaborations between conservation and technology sectors, celebrating the teamwork that is making conservation more effective.
The vision behind the Tech4Nature Award
The Tech4Nature Award aims to achieve several key objectives. It celebrates the collaborative spirit and partnership achievements in leveraging appropriate technology and digital solutions for nature conservation and sustainable development.
The Award seeks to showcase successful examples of how technology can be applied to address conservation challenges while encouraging the submission of new, transformational innovations. By increasing the number of documented Solutions, it enhances the visibility of partners developing and applying appropriate nature tech, fostering global recognition for impactful initiatives.
Additionally, the Award facilitates matchmaking between changemakers and potential donors and partners, promoting the uptake and application of existing Solutions to tackle pressing conservation and sustainable development challenges.
Why should you participate?
By submitting your solution, you’ll not only have the chance to win of the three Tech4Nature Award categories, but also join a global community of innovators. If your solution meets PANORAMA criteria, it will be published on the PANORAMA – Solutions for a Healthy Planet platform, which had nearly 250,000 website visits in 2023. This will give your solution significant visibility alongside nearly 100 tech-based solutions that are already making a real difference in conservation.
If you’re still wondering what a tech solution on PANORAMA might look like, here’s an example: Acoustic monitoring is being used to protect the critically endangered Hainan Gibbon, showing how technology can actively support species conservation in real-time. It’s just one of many innovative solutions making an impact.
Who can apply?
Eligible applicants include individuals, groups, or organisations that use innovative technology and digital solutions to advance area-based or species conservation. This may include, but is not limited to:
- Rangers and park managers
- Academic researchers and institutions
- Community-based organisations
- Indigenous Peoples and local communities
- Local and international NGOs
- Government bodies and agencies
- Private companies
*All applicants will be required to declare any conflicts of interest, including any associations with members of the Award judging panel.
How will your application be assessed?
- Relevance: Alignment with the thematic categories of the Award.
- Innovation: Demonstration of innovative ideas and partnerships.
- Impact: Proven effectiveness of the Solution in achieving conservation results.
- Scalability: Potential for the Solution to be adapted and replicated in other contexts.
- Sustainability: Solutions should demonstrate a commitment to long-term sustainability, including the potential for ongoing maintenance, funding strategies, and engagement with Indigenous Peoples, and local communities.
- Excellence and Inspiration: Outstanding achievements in conservation management practices.
How to apply
It’s easy to apply! Your Solution submission on the PANORAMA platform is your application for the Tech4Nature Award. There is no two-step process—simply register on PANORAMA, follow the prominent “Apply for Tech4Nature Award” button, and submit your Solution. The platform’s features, including the dedicated submission button, will make the process smooth and straightforward.
Get started now by visiting PANORAMA – Solutions for a Healthy Planet.
Your completed and submitted Solution on the PANORAMA platform will serve as your official application.
What is PANORAMA – Solutions for healthy Planet?
PANORAMA – Solutions for a Healthy Planet is a global initiative connecting changemakers to share, adopt, and scale inspiring Solutions for environmental challenges.
What is a PANORAMA Solution?
A PANORAMA Solution is a specific part of your work or a process that addresses an issue or challenge. You’ll outline key “building blocks” that can be adapted, replicated, or scaled in other contexts.
If you encounter any issues while creating your solution, you can access the PANORAMA manual and FAQs for guidance.- For assistance with the application process, please contact Tech4NatureAward@iucn.org
- Visit the official Tech4Nature website here.
- The content for this page was produced by IUCN. You can find the official Tech4Nature Award website here.
About IUCN
IUCN is a membership union uniquely composed of both government and civil society organisations. It provides public, private and non-governmental organisations with the knowledge and tools that enable human progress, economic development and nature conservation to take place together.
Created in 1948, IUCN is now the world’s largest and most diverse environmental network, harnessing the knowledge, resources and reach of more than 1,400 Member organisations and around 15,000 experts. It is a leading provider of conservation data, assessments and analysis. Its broad membership enables IUCN to fill the role of incubator and trusted repository of best practices, tools and international standards.
IUCN provides a neutral space in which diverse stakeholders including governments, NGOs, scientists, businesses, local communities, Indigenous peoples’ organisations and others can work together to forge and implement solutions to environmental challenges and achieve sustainable development.
Working with many partners and supporters, IUCN implements a large and diverse portfolio of conservation projects worldwide. Combining the latest science with the traditional knowledge of local communities, these projects work to reverse habitat loss, restore ecosystems and improve people’s well-being.
www.iucn.org
Disclaimer: Any views and/or opinions expressed in this post by individual authors or contributors are their personal views and/or opinions and do not necessarily reflect the views and/or opinions of Huawei Technologies.
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