The protection of nature and biodiversity requires enormous efforts. Digitalisation harbours opportunities and risks for nature conservation – nature conservation actors should therefore pay more attention to digital tools and incorporate them into future strategies. While the material-ecological effects of digitalisation have already been studied many times, the effects on nature conservation as a socio-political field of action have not been taken into account. The research project in which the publication of the Federal Agency for Nature Conservation (BfN) was created investigated these effects and provides recommendations for action to strengthen nature conservation in politics and civil society.
On the one hand, they are primarily aimed at stakeholders in nature conservation work and policy. For example, stakeholders should use digital tools for planning processes in such a way that they not only copy analog tools, but that the digital-specific possibilities are actually exploited. Another example is to use digital media for targeted advertising of environmentally friendly local recreation. On the other hand, the recommendations for action are geared towards overarching goals and therefore address various stakeholder groups. These include, for example, addressing the negative material-ecological and social effects of digitalisation and promoting digital sufficiency.