e-faunalert Mobile Application

The e-faunalert mobile application, developed by the IUCN Centre for Mediterranean Cooperation, enables users to collect data on power line structures and wildlife mortality. By providing a standardised platform for reporting, the app facilitates identification of high-risk areas and promotes effective conservation strategies to protect wildlife from electrocution and collision with power lines.

Highlights

• Over 2000 records from 10+ countries, identifying 130 cases of wildlife mortality.
• Allows experts and non-experts to easily collect, upload, and download data on power lines and wildlife mortality.
• Co-created with experts and organisations to ensure comprehensive data collection and analysis capabilities.

About this Practice

Power lines are vital to infrastructure and energy development but pose a significant threat to wildlife, especially birds, through electrocution and collision. The e-faunalert mobile application was developed to address this challenge. It provides a user-friendly platform for data collection on power line characteristics and wildlife mortality, enabling users worldwide to contribute to mapping high-risk areas. 

Initially launched in 2018 and continuously updated, e-faunalert is available in English, French, and Spanish. The app has facilitated data collection from more than 10 countries, recording over 2000 data points. Users can register fatalities and technical characteristics of power lines, upload photos, and share findings through a centralised web platform. This capability helps experts, NGOs, and governments collaborate on wildlife protection measures and promotes a shared understanding of the risks posed by power lines.

The app supports offline data entry for remote areas and enables users to create working groups, enhancing collaboration and data sharing. An interactive map-viewer on the e-faunalert website provides a clear overview of recorded data, allowing users to visualise and download data for analysis. This feature supports the identification of dangerous hotspots and informs decisions on mitigating impacts through design improvements and other interventions.

With ongoing improvements and collaborations with stakeholders, e-faunalert can become an important tool for ensuring safer coexistence between power lines and wildlife globally. Its development and adoption demonstrate a successful integration of technology, science, and conservation to address a critical environmental issue.