Our inspiration #global problem statement 9
The desire to use our knowledge, skills and abilities to facilitate our involvement in a global all inclusive drive towards environmental conservation and specifically the protection of endangered and threatened wild life species. There is need for coordination of counter wildlife trafficking operations in a way that enhances collaboration while minimizing compromise that may arise out of the unplanned overlap of uncoordinated activities of different players having similar or related interests
Our solution
A text based Application for flagging various entities of interest to partnering institutions. The system facilitates collaborative exchange of information between participating institutions at national and international levels.
A shared and managed platform for participating institutions to share information on ongoing counter wildlife trafficking operations in common areas of interest.
It aims to minimise the risk of physical compromise, harm or operational/ reputational damage which may occur when several entities conduct uncoordinated operations on overlapping interests or entities. It creates great potential for contact building and collaboration. Through the APP, an individual trail can be mapped for common entities across international borders.
Example. Flagging a given suspect can help create a trail / footprint of the suspect across international borders helping to build admissible evidence which can be used to prosecute offenders
What it does
As many institutions as possible will be encouraged to participate on the platform and are admitted upon signing an MOU or agreeing to the App’s terms and conditions.
Our Administrators create user accounts for not more than 3 accredited persons for each participating entity. Access to the platform is restricted. Accredited persons have to login using valid credentials to access Once logged in, the user can search the platform for existing flags in their area of interest for due diligence and to facilitate planning for their operation.
If a flag is found on the APP, the user will be given the contact details of the creating entity, which they may contact at their option, the flagging entity is under no obligation to share information. The collaborating parties are encouraged to adhere to set principles, practices, and legislation concerning data protection and sharing from their jurisdictions. If no flag is found they may repeat the search using other parameters (entities) and are encouraged to create a flag
A flag once created will remain in force for a minimal period of time ideally 7 days, but the flag holder may delete it before that time of choose to keep it open for a longer period of time. Ideally, the flag should remain open for as long as the flag holders interest in that entity remains current
How we built it
Web based application Built using PHP, html, JavaScript, MySQL, CSS
Challenges we ran into
Finding a hosting platform for demonstration of the prototype Not enough time to make a complete implementation of our plan
Accomplishments that we're proud of
The Application is platform independent and can be accessed using any device with a browser The App can send email notifications to official emails of accredited users
What we learned
- To have a successful project requires sufficient research and understanding of the problem statement.
- Team work is critical and each team member has a unique contribution to the final product.
What's next for Wildlife Offenders Tracking System
Should support expert identification of species (flag photos) Location/ mapping GPRS Provide for instant messaging/notifications (SMS, email, social media..)
Log in or sign up for Devpost to join the conversation.