THURSDAY, March 28, 2024
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Huawei, IUCN join hands to preserve biodiversity in APAC with tech innovations

Huawei, IUCN join hands to preserve biodiversity in APAC with tech innovations

The Asia Pacific region is one of the most biodiverse regions in the world. It is home to the worlds largest mangrove forest, a global center of marine biodiversity, and has seventeen of the worlds 36 "biodiversity hotspots".

Global leading tech company Huawei and the worlds' largest conservation organization IUCN will join hands on innovative solutions to promote the green transformation and sustainable development in the Asia Pacific region, said representatives at the TECH for a Better Planet Symposium.

Climate change presents a key challenge for social development, driving an urgent need for a low-carbon society & green growth models to protect the environment & promote green economic recovery.

The symposium, co-organized by IUCN (International Union for Conservation of Nature) and Huawei, and supported by ITU (International Telecommunication Union), brought together industrial experts and opinion leaders from the ICT and environmental protection communities across the Asia Pacific region. This two-part symposium series explored how technology can drive environmental protection and ensure sustainable development.

Huawei, IUCN join hands to preserve biodiversity in APAC with tech innovations

The Asia Pacific region is one of the most biodiverse regions in the world. It is home to the world's largest mangrove forest, a global center of marine biodiversity, and has seventeen of the world's 36 "biodiversity hotspots". However, the region is facing many threats including habitat loss, over-exploitation and climate change.

IUCN is now leading a new, open partnership called 'Tech4Nature' together with Huawei. The aim of the partnership is to harness innovative technologies in support of better conservation outcomes in and around protected and conserved areas, according to Dr. Dindo Campilan.

This three-year partnership will pilot a series of innovative digital tools and solutions in 5 countries including Thailand and China.

In partnership with the Thai Department of National Parks, for example, the Tech4Nature program is collaborating with Huawei on its flagship project at the Thailand Khao Yai National Park, a UNESCO World Heritage Site, to explore technological solutions including the use of digital monitor system to navigate wildlife. "IUCN is very pleased to partner with Huawei on Tech4Nature, which is seeking scale-up success nature conservation through digital technology innovations," said Dr. Dindo Campilan, IUCN Regional Director for Asia.

"ICT has become central to conversations around environmental sustainability," said Yondeen Sherpa, E-waste Policy and Technology Consultant at the Environment & Emergency Telecommunications Division of the International Telecommunication Union (ITU). To contribute to the pursuit of the SDGs, ITU is working together with members like Huawei to develop international standards and provided measurement methodologies addressing ICT, environment, and circular economy.

E-waste, as one of the fastest growing and most complex waste streams in the world, is affecting both human health and the environment, and proliferating a loss of valuable raw materials. At the same time, if treated through appropriate recycling methods, e-waste could offer economic returns worth, valuable raw materials and new jobs in recycling, Sherpa explained.

As part of the efforts to recycle as much electronic waste as possible, Huawei has built a global recycling program for device products and scaled up the product trade-in program. Over the course of 2020, Huawei processed more than 4,500 tons of e-waste through its recycling stations.

"Technology can help better understand and conserve nature. This is the idea of 'Tech4Nature' we share with IUCN. ICT could be applied to monitor and analyze habitats & biodiversity, improve operational efficiency, better connect the stakeholders of nature conservation," said Kevin Zhang Huawei's Chief Marketing Officer of ICT infrastructure business.

"We appreciate the partnership with technology companies like Huawei to help protect the environment," said DENR-4A Regional Director NILO B. TAMORIA (CESO III) at the Symposium, "We're hoping that we can still improve the technology to make it more effective and efficient as a tool to protect the environment."

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