Student’s work
How Preserving Pandas Can Help Strengthen National Security (2022-2023)
4D CHAN Yuk-lam
| At first glance, pandas and national security may seem like unrelated topics. However, some essential links exist between conservation efforts to protect endangered species like giant pandas and strengthening national security. Here are a few ways in which preserving pandas can help boost national security: Panda poaching and illegal wildlife trafficking funds criminal and terrorist groups. According to the UN Office on Drugs and Crime, illegal wildlife trafficking is worth up to $23 billion annually and is linked to transnational organized crime. Many criminal networks also have ties to terrorist organizations, which use wildlife trafficking to generate funding. By working to stop poaching and illegal trafficking of pandas and other endangered species, law enforcement agencies can also disrupt the flow of money to dangerous criminal and terrorist groups. For example, more robust protections for pandas in China and harsher penalties for poaching could help cut off this funding source for threatening groups. Support in Innovation Conservation efforts drive innovation in surveillance and technology. Using new technology like camera traps, drones, heat sensors, and satellite monitoring systems, it is being created to track panda numbers and watch for poaching in far-flung panda habitats. The same technologies are used for border security, monitoring risks over broad areas, and monitoring criminal or terrorist activity. For instance, improved drone and satellite surveillance systems created for panda conservation could be helpful for national security organizations. Innovation in conservation technology can also lead to breakthroughs in national security applications. Global alliances between countries Global alliances are created through international conservation cooperation. Collaboration between China and the international world is necessary to protect pandas. This entails funding conservation initiatives, tech development, and international collaboration on anti-poaching activities. This kind of international cooperation and teamwork can foster relationships that may benefit geopolitical and national security objectives. For example, cooperating with China on panda preservation might generate confidence and goodwill between countries that could be applied to other security challenges. Cooperation on conservation issues can bring nations together and foster alliances advantageous to national security. Even though there may not seem to be a direct connection between pandas and national security, there are some significant ways that investments in and attempts to protect endangered species can also improve national security. Conservation efforts to preserve pandas in their natural environment could offer significant collateral benefits for national security, including the disruption of wildlife trafficking, the acceleration of technological innovation, and the facilitation of global cooperation. Policymakers may strive toward two critical objectives by recognizing and comprehending these connections: a safer world and a healthier globe for threatened species like giant pandas. |
Citizenship and Social Development 