Empowering rangers through technology and innovation

Protected areas are key to biodiversity conservation and ranger-based monitoring, law enforcement is the cornerstone upon which effective protected built. Frontline practitioners, however, often asked protect large swathes of land or sea with limited resources, support, infrastructure, capacity, and/or training. Technology, when applied effectively appropriately, has capacity empower revolutionize ranger operations, improve safety, enhance wildlife protection outcomes. To do so, technology must be recognized, from frontlines through decisionmakers, as a force multiplier, but only it fit for purpose, accessible, cost-effective, supportive rangers’ needs. In this paper we detail general state innovation within context provide series detailed recommendations help Universal Ranger Support Alliance (URSA) meet needs rangers around world, including: demystifying clarifying what can cannot do, connecting right people places, focusing development investment on substantive improvements broadening familiarization technology, building in rangers, fostering greater community creating opportunities technologies, engaging sector innovate design support supporting complement traditional knowledge skills, rather than replacement. These constitute an ambitious vision delivered by URSA isolation. Rather, propose leverages existing efforts ensure supported world.