The Joint Researcher Center (JCR), the science and knowledge service of the European Commission, has launched a beta version of the eConservation platform.

eConservation is a new application that provides information in an interactive mapping interface on biodiversity conservation projects funded by big public donors worldwide. The aim is to better understand who is funding what and where, with a view to improve decision-making on biodiversity conservation. This could also be of interest when researching big donors in or around your area and country, especially since projects can be searched based on many criteria including their location, objectives, timeframe, budget, and the organisations involved. eConservation also provides summary statistics at the level of donors, countries, ecoregions and protected areas, which is particularly interesting considering it provides the opportunity to focus on World Protected Areas from which you can analyse the links between protected areas and conservation projects with regards to funding and action types.

The eConservation application is an important module of the Digital Observatory for Protected Areas (DOPA) and supports the Biodiversity and Protected Areas Management Programme (BIOPAMA) for improved decision-making on biodiversity conservation in African, Caribbean and Pacific (ACP) countries.

Please note that the tool is currently in its testing phase, and that not all donors are reflected. Main donors that are reflected now are the LIFE programme and DG International Cooperation and Development (EU), Global Environment Facility, Critical Ecosystem Partnership Fund, the World Bank, and other main multi- and bilateral agencies.