Costa Rica will be the first country to map its forest protection projects, with the help of a new science-based open data platform called “Restor.”
This new technology aims to accelerate the global restoration movement, by connecting people everywhereto local restoration.
Restor allows people to access scientific data, supply chains, funding, and other people. While doing so, it permits individuals from all over the world to intensify their efforts towards environmental conservation.
With Restor, the influence, sustainability and impact of ecosystem restoration is likely to be increased.
Restor was founded by ETH Zurich’s Crowther Lab, and developed in collaboration with Google. ETH Zurich’s Crowther Lab, does high quality research and understands how important it is for everyone to have access to data, especially when it comes to information that can be used to improve actions against climate change.
The database was designed around four principles: community, as it hopes to involve everyone and collaborate in restoration projects with various organizations around the world; land, because restoration is fundamental and the platform supports all life on the planet; science, given that it provides all necessary data and constantly tries to improve its information; and finally, transparency, allowing the community to learn from one another and hold one another accountable.
It was launched in October 2020, with only one goal in mind: ecosystem restoration and conservation.
Additionally, the founders hope to help the most vulnerable communities, in which, often, the biggest consequences of climate change are suffered.
The company partnered with Costa Rica to bring a greater level of transparency to the country’s conservation and restoration efforts.
As part of this alliance, Costa Rica will publish details of its Payments for Environmental Services (PES) projects and receive access to global monitoring data and tools.
Andrea Meza, Minister of Environment, mentioned that “by sharing our PES projects on Restor, Costa Rica is making its commitments on forest loss and restoration transparent and accountable. We hope this will inspire other countries to do the same.”
Since the beginning of the 1990’s, Costa Rica has doubled its forest coverage, becoming the first tropical country to reverse deforestation from 34% in 1977 to 52% today.
“It is inspiring to see a country committing so much to environmental transparency. Costa Rica is a shining example of what the environmental movement needs,” said Dr. Thomas Crowther, founder of Restor.
