Digitalizing forest landscape restoration: A social and political analysis of emerging technological practices
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Journal Title
Environmental Politics
ISSN
0964-4016
Publisher
Routledge
Type
Article
This Version
AM
Metadata
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Urzedo, D., Westerlaken, M., & Gabrys, J. Digitalizing forest landscape restoration: A social and political analysis of emerging technological practices. Environmental Politics https://doi.org/10.17863/CAM.85545
Abstract
Digital technologies are increasingly influencing forest landscape restoration practices worldwide. We investigate how digital platforms specifically reconfigure restoration practices, resources, and policy across scales. By analyzing digital restoration platforms, we identify four drivers of technological developments, including: scientific expertise to optimize decisions; capacity building through digital networks; digital tree-planting markets to operate supply chains; community participation to foster co-creation. Our analysis shows how digital developments transform restoration practices by producing techniques, remaking networks, creating markets, and reorganizing participation. These transformations often involve power imbalances regarding expertise, finance, and politics across the Global North and Global South. However, the distributed qualities of digital systems can also create alternative ways of undertaking restoration actions. We propose that digital developments for restoration should not be understood as neutral tools but rather as power-laden processes that can create, perpetuate, or counteract social and environmental inequalities.
Sponsorship
This project has received funding from the European Research Council (ERC) under the European Union’s Horizon 2020 research and innovation programme (Grant agreement No.866006).
Funder references
European Commission Horizon 2020 (H2020) ERC (866006)
Embargo Lift Date
2025-06-15
Identifiers
This record's DOI: https://doi.org/10.17863/CAM.85545
This record's URL: https://www.repository.cam.ac.uk/handle/1810/338136
Rights
Attribution-NonCommercial 4.0 International
Licence URL: https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-nc/4.0/
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