Internet Suggested To Be Utilized in Forecasting Ecological Disasters

Internet Suggested To Be Utilized in Forecasting Ecological Disasters

The internet has been named by researchers at Stockholm Resilience Center as an efficient tool to forecast environmental disasters. Inspite of enhanced ecosystem monitoring, ecological crisis often comes unpredicted.  Gaps in official monitoring systems are also widely seen.


Researchers Victor Galaz, Beatrice Crona, Vrjan Nystrum, Per Olson, and Tim Daw have experimented on the possible use of online information to foresee changes in the ecosystems. 



Dr. Galaz said, "Information and communications technology is revolutionizing the generation of and access to information.  Systematic 'data mining' of such information through the internet can provide important early warnings about pending losses of ecosystem services."



"If we look at coral reefs, for example, the internet may contain information that describes not only changes in the ecosystem, but also in drivers of change, such as global seafood markets," Daw added.