Natural Resource Management

Biodiversity loss is an urgent global issue that disproportionately harms poor and vulnerable communities in low‑ and middle‑income countries (LMICs). Growing evidence shows that digital tools can greatly enhance the efficiency and impact of Natural resource management (NRM).

Natural resource management (NRM) refers to the sustainable use and stewardship of natural resources such as forests, watersheds, oceans, air and biodiversity. These interconnected systems underpin livelihoods, economic development and human well-being, and growing evidence shows that digital technologies can strengthen their management by improving data collection, enabling real-time decision-making and enhancing community participation in conservation efforts.

A person wearing a black cap, grey shirt, and khaki shorts bends over in a flooded rice paddy, planting young green rice seedlings by hand—an example of natural resource management. Rows of rice and water extend towards distant buildings and trees.

The human impact on biodiversity

Human activities are putting unsustainable pressure on the world’s natural resources, and current trends in biodiversity and ecosystem loss are believed to threaten 80 per cent of the Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) targets related to poverty, hunger, health, water, cities, climate, oceans and land. The areas of the world that will be hardest hit by these changes are home to many of the world’s poorest communities.

Through research, knowledge sharing, and practical partnerships, the GSMA’s ClimateTech team works with mobile operators and development partners to identify opportunities to scale nature-based solutions, reduce biodiversity loss, strengthen climate resilience, and unlock long-term value for organisations and communities alike.

Resources

Three people stand waist-deep in the sea, wearing shirts and hats, pulling a large fishing net along the shoreline—a scene reflecting natural resource management. Small yellow buoys dot the net as gentle waves roll in beneath a clear sky.

Webinar replay: Digital Solutions for Biodiversity – Innovations from the mobile industry

In this webinar replay, GSMA ClimateTech, alongside representatives from Huawei (Tech4Nature), Indosat Ooredoo Hutchison, Vodafone, and Nature^Squared, delves into the transformative potential of mobile industry innovations in addressing biodiversity loss.

Explore the GSMA ClimateTech presentation featuring insights from the latest research report “The Nature Tech Nexus: Bridging biodiversity and business“. Watch the video to gain valuable perspectives from mobile operators who have spearheaded impactful digital solutions, contributing significantly to the preservation of nature and communities in the critical endeavor to safeguard our environment.

Watch webinar