2016 ICT4D Conference

Financial barriers limit the application of technology for conservation. Conservation organizations cannot afford it, and technology organizations can't make money off it. Business model innovation, more than technology innovation is what is really needed for large scale tech implementations in conservation. There have been few revenue generating models outside of eco tourism for conservation. Though they give us access to hundreds of millions of people, we have only used the web and social media for the purposes of getting donations. We need to look through the lens of the public and their needs and define offerings accordingly. The private sector already does this well, and we can learn from their thinking. Internet of Elephants is using games, social casinos, data visualizations to appeal to the public's desire for status, competition, quantification, and love. If we can tap into these addictions, we can democratize nature for the masses and generate revenue needed to widely implement tech solutions.