The science and knowledge service of the European Commission – Joint Research Center (JRC) – just launched a beta version of a new tool to support your work: the eConservation platform.

This tool, in essence, is a huge database that works with an interactive map to help you getting an overview of biodiversity conservation projects funded by big public donors worldwide. Those donors include so far: European Union (so far LIFE project and DG International Cooperation and Development), World Bank, Global Environment Facility, Critical Ecosystem Partnership Fund and other key multilateral and bilateral agencies.

You can simply browse for projects by their location, objectives, timeframe, budget, and the organisations involved. That way you can gather some valuable input for your own decision-making and find out about potential funding opportunities by big donors. The Conservation section of the tool might be of special interest to you: it provides global statistics focused on the World Protected Areas and you can analyze the connection between conservation projects and protected areas in terms of funding and action types.

Other than that – you might as well just browse this database for some inspiration for your own projects and for some ideas whom to network with.

When trying the tool just keep in mind that so far the database is still a prototype which means it is still in its test phase and not all donors and projects are displayed. In the near future, it will be extended step by step. So make sure you check it from time to time.

Have fun exploring: http://econservation.jrc.ec.europa.eu/ “