Alongside significant trade and abundant forests, some reports have estimated as much as US$17 billion dollars' worth of illegal trade flows from the East Asia Pacific region, with the Mekong particularly susceptible because of poor forest governance, weak regulation, corruption and porous border controls
Concerted action to combat climate change remains elusive, the illegal wildlife trade is booming and exploitation of natural resources such as forests far exceeds capacity to regenerate. One underlying cause for this disconnect is the failure to adequately implement and enforce laws designed to protect the environment
Technology doesn’t exist in a vacuum, and its use depends on people with commitment, motivation, context and the means to best protect our intimately-bound habitats and ecosystems
A staggering three million hectares of forest in Indonesia and Malaysia have been cleared to make way for oil palm during the past 15 years, and 50–60 per cent of all oil palm expansion in the two countries has occurred at the expense of natural forests
The true global scale of wildlife and forest crime doesn’t become apparent until you look at all these environmental abuses as a single whole. Wildlife and forest crime is a serious, transnational crime, alongside human trafficking, money laundering, arms trade and drug dealing. It’s worth at least US$17 billion a year
After nearly five years, I have decided to move on to new challenges in a different field but I know that I will never be far away from the EIA family. Working as Head of Fundraising here has been quite a roller coaster, I have been living in interesting times and have no doubt picked up a few grey hairs along the way