AmazonTEC is a premier forum for discussing science and technology’s connection to policy and governance in the Amazon. Developed by Amazon Conservation’s Peruvian sister organization Conservación Amazónica – ACCA, AmazonTEC brought together forest users, technology experts, NGOs, governments, and other stakeholders in a forum to discuss the use of cutting-edge technology (satellites, mobile apps, drones, and more) in the advancement of public policy for environmental protection in the Amazon.

In this 2020 edition, the event was virtual, with five interactive webinars. With support from Norad, Amazon Conservation hosted its first-ever English-language session as part of AmazonTEC. 

AmazonTEC is a premier forum for discussing science and technology’s connection to policy and governance in the Amazon. Developed by Amazon Conservation’s Peruvian sister organization Conservación Amazónica – ACCA, AmazonTEC brings together forest users, technology experts, NGOs, governments, and other stakeholders in a forum to discuss the use of cutting-edge technology (satellites, mobile apps, drones, and more) in the advancement of public policy for environmental protection in the Amazon.

The last of five sessions of the annual AmazonTEC event, titled Building a Sustainable Amazon Through Science, Technology, and Governance focused on the value and future of technology for fighting deforestation and how it can be used by governments and local people to protect forests and resources. Click here to watch the recording of the English session.

After Amazon Conservation Executive Director John Beavers welcomed panelists and attendees, Henrik Fliflet, Senior Adviser at Norway’s International Climate and Forest Initiative (NICFI) gave opening remarks and shared the major news from earlier this year regarding the conservation technology initiative from Norway’s Kongsberg Satellite Services (KST). Henrik elaborated on the agreement, speaking about how it provides free and accessible high-resolution satellite images of tropical forests, and its importance for conservation. Later in the conference, Dan Irwin of NASA commended this initiative by Norway and highlighted the importance of data availability in his presentation about new satellite technology. 

Manuel Pulgar-Vidal, who currently serves as the Leader of the Climate & Energy Global Practice of World Wild Fund for Nature International, added to Henrik’s opening remarks, contextualizing why and how technologies can be used for conservation. He said that, “We should identify needs based on information provided by the actors of the Amazon. It’s important to create opportunities that can be translated into actionable information and that can also be scaled .”

Enrique Ortiz,  Senior Program Director for the Andes Amazon Fund, served as the moderator for the panels throughout the conference, and introduced the panelists for the Technology Solutions for Conservation segment. The first panelist was Dan Irwin who currently works as a Research Scientist at NASA and is also the Global Program Manager for the NASA/USAID program SERVIR. SERVIR is a partnership between NASA and the U.S. Agency for International Development (USAID), which provides satellite-based Earth observation data and science applications to help developing nations. Dan gave an overview on the latest satellite technology noting that,“it enables up to take pioneering observation of our home planet. The power of the SERVIR network really enables services in one region to be transferred and scaled to another region or even the entire planet.” He also noted the increase in destructive forest practices saying , “Across the region, mining activity has increased and with satellites you can now see it. This information is given to officials and others that can use it.”

Actionable information was a major theme of this AmazonTEC webinar. Matt Finer, Director of the Monitoring of the Andean Amazon Project (MAAP) at Amazon Conservation talked about MAAP’s real-time satellite monitoring takes satellite data of deforestation or fires and turns it into actionable information. During his presentation he spoke about this year’s destructive fire season, which according to him, was even more severe than last year’s. This year Amazon Conservation released an updated real-time fire monitoring app that combines aerosol emissions information provided by the new SENTINEL-5 satellite with data from traditional heat-based fire alerts. He notes that, “the great thing about focusing on aerosol emissions is that they’re directly related to the amount of biomass being burned. Thus this app filters out the hundreds and thousands of smaller fires, and focuses only on what will become major fires.” 

Sidney Novoa, Director of GIS and Technology for Conservation at our sister organization Conservación Amazónica – ACCA added to Matt’s presentation saying that all of the satellite advances that Matt had mentioned are becoming more impactful due to the integration of other types of technologies. Sidney noted that, “some of the greatest innovations are in the use of new devices, such as drones and radar, and computer-based resources derived from the use of artificial intelligence, machine learning, and cloud computing.” He also emphasized Amazon Conservation’s drone monitoring program by people on the ground, further elaborated on by Flor Rumayna’s and Daniel Rodriguez Fernandez’s presentations later on. 

Adrian Forsyth, Tropical Ecologist and Strategic Advisor for the Gordon and Betty Moore Foundation emphasized how accessible technology is nowadays to citizens who want to participate in conservation efforts. This is done by crowdsourced apps, camera traps, drones, etc that can be accessed by your smartphone or purchased for a reasonable price. Additionally, he gave examples of some of the newest technology advances, such as an electric vest in development, “that can be put on a tapir or peccary, and when that animal moves, the stretching of that fabric generates electricity. That animal can be carrying an acoustic sensor that detects a chainsaw, shotgun etc. Or it could carry an aerosol sniffer, and the animal itself can participate in the management of a forest and its own salvation.”

Daniel Rodriguez Fernandez, who is a specialist in uncontacted indigenous peoples’ protection and a Technical Advisor for FENAMAD (an Indigenous Federation in southeastern Peru) spoke about how technology helps protect uncontacted peoples from encounters with external actors. Putting it in the context of COVID-19 he emphasized that, “it is more important than ever to prevent encounters due to the threat of COVID. The threats were further illustrated by camera trap photos that were taken of uncontacted peoples at the nearby Forestry authority control post. Daniel also spoke about how community-level forest monitoring is one of the central protective measures implemented, which provides the basis to prevent forceful contacts and other risky situations involving external actors. He elaborated on the monitoring system, which is organised around a network of control posts operated by FENAMAD, the communities and government authorities.

Fabiola Muñoz Dodero, a Peruvian attorney with a passion for conservation, served terms as Minister of the Environment, Minister of Agriculture, and the Executive Director of Peru’s National Forest and Wildlife Service (SERFOR). She gave an insider perspective of how the Peruvian government has used technology to more effectively stop deforestation, and as the base of its innovative “National System of Control and Monitoring”. She also spoke of the success story of Operation Mercury, which decreased illegal gold mining in the affected Madre de Dios region by over 90%. During the question and answer session, she was asked about current events in Peru, as an audience member was worried about ensuring that this progress would continue throughout all these changes in the Peruvian government. She responded by emphasizing the importance of regional governments and national governments working together, saying that, “one way is that we must all work to close the gap between the capacities of the national government and local/regional governments.”

Hector Gonzalez, a Technical Advisor at Colombia’s government agency “Institute of Hydrology, Meteorology, and Environmental Studies” (IDEAM) was also an AmazonTEC panelist but unfortunately was not able to give his presentation during the conference. You can read more about his organization and work here. 

Flor Rumayna, a local sustainable business owner and forest guardian in Peru was not able to present in person, but told her story via video. She was one of the first women in Peru to be trained and licensed to pilot drones for conservation and spoke about how technology changed the way she protects her forest concession.

Click here to read more takeaways from #AmazonTEC2020:

• Experiences on the Ground Using Technology
• Advancements of Technology for the Conservation of the Amazon
• Public Policy, Governance and Technology for the Protection of the Amazon
• Towards a Regional Agenda for Action in the Amazon
• Building a Sustainable Amazon Through Science, Technology, and Governance

AmazonTEC is a premier forum for discussing science and technology’s connection to policy and governance in the Amazon. Developed by Amazon Conservation’s Peruvian sister organization Conservación Amazónica – ACCA, AmazonTEC brings together forest users, technology experts, NGOs, governments, and other stakeholders in a forum to discuss the use of cutting-edge technology (satellites, mobile apps, drones, and more) in the advancement of public policy for environmental protection in the Amazon.

Tomorrow is the English session of AmazonTEC. Register now to join Amazon Conservation and a host of technology, government, and science experts in an English-language live panel on the value and future of technology for fighting deforestation and how it can be used by governments and local people to protect forests and resources. Click here to download the full English session agenda.

The first of five sessions of the annual AmazonTEC event, titled Experiencias De Campo En El Uso De Tecnología Como Aliada De La Conservación, focused on how technology is being applied on the ground by forest users, such as concessionaires, indigenous groups, NGOs, or authorities working on the ground. Click here to watch the recording of the first session (in Spanish). All Spanish recordings are also available on Conservación Amazónica – ACCA’s Facebook page.

 The event started with welcoming remarks from many speakers, including Peru’s current Minister of Environment, Kirla Echegaray, and Einar Telnes, Senior Advisor at the NORAD Department for Climate, Energy and Environment. Another was Jene Thomas, Director of USAID Peru, who highlighted the successes of the MAAP initiative in detecting illegal logging with very high resolution satellites. USAID Peru supports MAAP through their Prevenir project. He said,

“The recent report from MAAP helps us detect events related to illegal logging by identifying the presence of trails in the Peruvian Amazon, using high-resolution satellite images in real time. It is important to have information in real time because it allows us to do preventive work, and to identify the emergence of new sources of deforestation…these new sources of deforestation affect the life and safety of the local and indigenous communities, and this detection was possible due to analysis of satellite images.”

He also noted that he was eager to hear the visions from the four women on the AmazonTEC panel, saying that “you don’t as often see women in technology and sciences.” Thus, it was a highlight to hear from a diverse array of voices and experiences.

After the opening remarks, Sidney Novoa, Director of GIS and Technology for Conservación Amazónica – ACCA gave a short presentation about using satellite and drone technology to protect the Amazon. He said, “Our existence has become a constant threat to the environment and to combat it we need a strategic, multisectoral approach. But first, like a doctor, we need a diagnosis.”

Each of the featured panelists then introduced themselves and gave short presentations about their area of expertise. Panelists included:

Flor Rumayna, a forest concessionaire in Madre de Dios, Peru, who is also a part of ACOMAT, an association of forest concessionaires. 

Forest concessionaires like Flor’s family lease land from the Peruvian government that they can use for any purpose, as long as they protect it. Therefore, concessionaires must report illegal activity on their lands. Many concessionaires use the land for conservation, sustainable harvesting of forest fruits and nuts, or ecotourism, which is what Flor and her husband uses their concession for. This is a part of the Peruvian government’s plan for sustainable forest management.

The full title of ACOMAT, which is the association that Flor Rumayna and her husband are a part of, is the “Asociación de Concesionarios Forestales Maderables y no Maderables de las Provincias del Manu, Tambopata y Tahuamanu.” This association connects concessionaires across Madre de Dios and provides resources to its members in the form of training and legal assistance when reporting environmental crimes. Read about ACOMAT’s recent role in using drones to report environmental crimes here, and click here to learn more about the Southwest Amazon Drone Center, where many ACOMAT members train.

Reyna Gonzaga, Coordinator of Community Environmental Monitoring of the Union of Affected Persons by the Petroleum Operations of Texaco (UDAPT), partner organization of the Todos los Ojos en la Amazonia in Ecuador. Reyna spoke about technology-based decisions regarding the indigenous peoples of Ecuador and nearby Colombia, saying that “technology has been very useful for our organization, helping indigenous communities with early alerts for illegal logging, and has helped compile evidence that we can give to communities that need it so they’re able to file legal complaints.”

Rosa Baca, Coordinator of the Forestry oversight of the Federation Native to the Madre de Dios River and Tributaries (FENAMAD), Peru. Rosa elaborated on technology and the connection to the Amazon from the indigenous perspective. Moderator Gustavo Solano asked her about connectivity in the Amazon, to which she responded, “It is a system of real-time alerts at the satellite level, which allows users to send alerts with an internet signal or by satellite. Through these systems, we monitor what is happening in the communities through the alerts that the indigenous people receive, and thus with this we have been able to reach the authorities.” 

Andrew Whitworth, Executive Director of Osa Conservation in Costa Rica, who spoke about the use of technology to monitor biodiversity in tropical forests. He noted that for him, the biggest advancement was the availability and ease of technology to anyone who wants to monitor biodiversity. “With cell phone applications–it’s now more accessible to people where they can upload their own data, their own records. For me this is the biggest advance, that this technology is simple so that everyone can monitor biodiversity.” One attendee asked about the strength of cell phone connections in the Amazon to be able to upload photos of biodiversity or illegal activity. He responded that though that is their biggest challenge right now, there are applications that geotag where you are when you take the photo, so you can then upload it when you have service again.

Asvín Flores, Coordinator for the indigenous Amarakaeri Reserve of SERNANP (National Service of Natural Areas Protected by the State of Peru), who spoke about opportunities in the use of technology for the protection of natural areas. He said that, “early monitoring alerts like MAAP & ones like it, help give us a first glance at what’s happening. This helps us reduce risk to our staff and community, but also helps us have better surveillance.”

Karina Garay, the Chief Environmental Prosecutor for the Fiscalía Especializada en Materia Ambiental in Madre de Dios, Perú presented on the role of satellite monitoring in the fight against illegal mining. She was recently dubbed “Peru’s Wonder Woman” in an international news article by Reuters for her work combating illegal gold mining.  She noted that, “since we have implemented technological tools, the process for legal action is much quicker and more efficient. We don’t have to wait for the prosecutor to tell us the place because the technological system gives us the route; it helps us plan immediate actions.”

On November 12 from 2-3:30 pm, Amazon Conservation is hosting an English AmazonTEC webinar: Building a Sustainable Amazon Through Science, Technology, and Governance on the value and future of technology for fighting deforestation and how it can be used by governments and local people to protect forests and resources, whill will include speakers and panelists from government agencies in Peru, Colombia, and Norway; and experts from the Gordon and Betty Moore Foundation, WWF,  NASA, FENAMAD, IDEAM, Amazon Conservation, and our Peruvian sister organization Conservación Amazónica – ACCA. Click here to register now, or here for more information.

Click here to read more takeaways from #AmazonTEC2020:

• Experiences on the Ground Using Technology
• Advancements of Technology for the Conservation of the Amazon
• Public Policy, Governance and Technology for the Protection of the Amazon
• Towards a Regional Agenda for Action in the Amazon
• Building a Sustainable Amazon Through Science, Technology, and Governance

AmazonTEC is a premier forum for discussing science and technology’s connection to policy and governance in the Amazon. Developed by Amazon Conservation’s Peruvian sister organization Conservación Amazónica – ACCA, AmazonTEC brings together forest users, technology experts, NGOs, governments, and other stakeholders in a forum to discuss the use of cutting-edge technology (satellites, mobile apps, drones, and more) in the advancement of public policy for environmental protection in the Amazon.

The fourth of five sessions of the annual AmazonTEC event, titled Evento De Alto Nivel: “hacia Una Agenda Regional Para La Acción Amazónica”  focused on considered the challenges facing the Amazon, and panelists discussed the role of science and technology in achieving its protection and brainstormed the necessities for an actionable agenda for the region. Click here to watch the recording of the fourth session (in Spanish).

Carlos Manuel Rodríguez, currently the CEO and President of the Global Environment Facility (GEF) and Former Minister of Environment and Energy of Costa Rica, began with a keynote presentation about human impact throughout the years on the environment. He said, “Human indicators have evolved, however, there is less wildlife, fewer hectares of forest, and more concentration of carbon. We must see how we can make a lesser impact with the resources we need.” He adds his vision for the future saying that, “I hope that in 30 years, countries have understood the importance of managing their natural capital, as we do for the financial/human capital. Then we can create a framework that doesn’t guarantee use of natural resources because of social objectives.”

María Elena Gutiérrez, Executive Director of our sister organization, Conservación Amazónica – ACCA, gave a brief introduction about combining technology and politics for the protection of the Amazon towards a regional agenda. She said that “AmazoTEC is a multi-stakeholder platform that has allowed dialogue and advising of solutions. We need an integration of technologies for the conservation of forests.”

The first panel focused on technology, forests and development towards a regional agenda for the Amazon and was moderated by Manuel Pulgar Vidal, Climate and Energy Lead of the World Wildlife Fund (WWF) and Former Minister of the Environment of Peru. He stressed the need for calculated action that appropriately responds to objectives on the ground. “Technology has to respond to a collective vision of the Amazon. Second, it has to respond to its needs. We must avoid falling into the trap of discourse and support concrete actions.” He also emphasized the needs of the communities when making decisions saying that, “‘Amazon appropriate technology’ is that which corresponds to the worldview of their communities, which responds to their needs and threats.” 

Jesús Quintana García, Managing Director for the Americas of the Bioversity International Alliance and the International Center for Tropical Agriculture (CIAT), Colombia, spoke about applied research for the development of the Amazon region. Thus he emphasized a strategy based on data and research saying that, “The magnitude of the challenges we have in the Amazon is so great that we need new approaches based on science, technology and innovation, greater resources and collaborative work to change paradigms.” However, he emphasized the need for public support of the proposals adding that, “without involving society, we won’t be able to have that support that we need from all countries. We must get out of the unsustainable production cycle. Stakeholder collaboration is key and must be inclusive “

Carlos Nobre presented on the “tipping point” of the Amazon, a subject that he has talked about in interviews for news publications, and stressed the need for a new bioeconomy. He said that at the current rate of deforestation in the Amazon, “In 30 and 50 years the forest disappears, it becomes a degraded savanna and is a point of no return. (…) Now is the time to show that the Amazon can be bio-industrialized,” said Brazilian environmental scientist Carlos A. Nobre. He currently serves as the Coordinator of the Center for Advanced Climate Studies and Member of the Brazilian Academy of Sciences.

Walter Quertehuari, President of the ECA Amarakaeri Communal Reserve added the perspective of indigenous communities. “Since 2018 we have used an application for surveillance, mobile mapping implies participation of the community members. Strengthening the forest requires strengthening the economic life of the inhabitants. We speak of a shared management with the active participation of indigenous peoples…they’re the best allies/protectors of natural areas.”

Yolanda Kakabadse, Founder of Fundación Futuro Latinoamericano (FFLA). Former Minister of the Environment of Ecuador spoke of the agenda in the Amazon region from civil society. One of the challenges she mentioned was that, “There is little coordination between countries and if there is no alignment of governments there is no foundation.” She also added the importance of training people that live in the communities as well as those in higher-level organizational positions saying that, “we should promote the development & use of technologies that have a much longer, useful lifespan. That implies training, education and participation…not only of experts, but also of people on the ground.”

Jene Thomas, Director of the United States Agency for International Development in Peru, USAID Peru, gave closing remarks for the Spanish sessions of AmazonTED praising the conference as an “an opportune space to make visible progress and needs to conserve the Amazon. It leaves a message about the need for collaboration between governments, institutions and populations that share the Amazonian forests.”

Click here to read more takeaways from #AmazonTEC2020:

• Experiences on the Ground Using Technology
• Advancements of Technology for the Conservation of the Amazon
• Public Policy, Governance and Technology for the Protection of the Amazon
• Towards a Regional Agenda for Action in the Amazon
• Building a Sustainable Amazon Through Science, Technology, and Governance