Indigenous peoples of Peru start saving the jungle with apps
Rapid deforestation of the Amazon threatens to destroy one of the richest ecosystems in the world. The jungle also has an impact on the climate as it contains about 123 billion metric tons of carbon, Scientific American reports.
Scientists have implemented a new project to protect forests. He brought together the efforts of indigenous communities to monitor the situation with modern technology, satellites and smartphones.
The study focused on the Peruvian region, which is particularly hard hit by illegal logging, improper farming and the expansion of coca plantations.
Scientists have partnered with 76 indigenous communities in Peru. 36 of them learned how to use special applications to alert about deforestation. Community representatives patrolled the forest, looked for illegal logging sites, and documented damage to the forest. They also received notifications if the satellite recorded the activity of poachers.
“Patrolmen” regularly reported to the elders, and they could decide what to do – to stop the activities of illegal loggers on their own or report to the law enforcement agencies.
Two years later, when summing up the results, it turned out that the early warning program reduced forest loss by 8.4 hectares in the first year (or 52%). The scientists noted that this is a great success and called for expanding the program to other communities affected by deforestation. However, in the second year only 3.3 hectares were saved.
Earlier it became known that mangrove forests are being restored in Brazil. The project will cover an area of 750 square kilometers.
