Report on the Rhisotope Project and its Contribution to Sustainable Development Goals

Executive Summary

A collaborative initiative in South Africa, the Rhisotope Project, has been launched to combat rhinoceros poaching through an innovative technological solution. The project involves injecting rhino horns with non-harmful radioactive isotopes to facilitate detection and disrupt illegal trafficking networks. This intervention makes a significant and direct contribution to several United Nations Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs), particularly those concerning biodiversity, justice, and global partnerships.

Alignment with SDG 15: Life on Land

The project’s primary impact is on SDG 15, which aims to protect, restore, and promote the sustainable use of terrestrial ecosystems and halt biodiversity loss. The initiative directly addresses the following targets:

• Target 15.7: By creating a robust method to detect and intercept trafficked horns, the project takes urgent action to end the poaching and trafficking of a protected species.
• Target 15.5: It serves as a critical intervention to halt the loss of biodiversity by protecting the global rhinoceros population, which has declined from approximately 500,000 in the early 20th century to around 27,000 today.
• Target 15.c: The project enhances global support for efforts to combat poaching by providing a new technological tool for law enforcement, thereby addressing the supply and transit of illegal wildlife products. South Africa, home to an estimated 16,000 rhinos, loses approximately 500 animals to poaching annually.

Contribution to SDG 16: Peace, Justice and Strong Institutions

The initiative strengthens the framework for justice and institutional integrity by targeting the criminal enterprises that facilitate the illegal wildlife trade.

• Target 16.4: The project is designed to significantly reduce illicit flows and combat organized crime by disrupting a key component of the wildlife trafficking supply chain.
• Target 16.a: It strengthens the capacity of national institutions by equipping customs and border officials with an effective means to enforce laws against the illegal wildlife trade, as the isotopes are detectable by existing radiation security systems at airports and borders.

Fostering SDG 17: Partnerships for the Goals

The Rhisotope Project is a model for the multi-stakeholder partnerships essential for achieving the SDGs.

• Target 17.17: It represents an effective public-private-civil society partnership, bringing together academia (University of the Witwatersrand), government bodies (nuclear energy officials), and conservationists to address a complex global challenge.

Project Efficacy and Implementation

The project’s viability has been confirmed through a successful pilot study and rigorous scientific validation, paving the way for broader implementation.

1. A pilot study involving the injection of isotopes into 20 rhinos confirmed that the process is entirely safe for the animals.
2. Scientific validation by the Witwatersrand Radiation and Health Physics Unit demonstrated that even low levels of radioactivity successfully trigger alarms in radiation detectors.
3. Testing confirmed that treated horns are detectable even when concealed inside large 40-foot shipping containers.
4. Following the successful trials, the project was officially launched with the injection of five more rhinos, and a call has been issued for private and national conservation authorities to adopt the procedure.

Analysis of Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) in the Article

1. SDG 15: Life on Land

   • The article’s central theme is the protection of rhinoceroses, a key terrestrial species, from poaching. This directly aligns with SDG 15, which aims to “protect, restore and promote sustainable use of terrestrial ecosystems… and halt biodiversity loss.” The Rhisotope Project is a direct intervention to prevent the extinction of a threatened species and combat the illegal wildlife trade that threatens biodiversity.

2. SDG 16: Peace, Justice and Strong Institutions

   • The article discusses poaching and trafficking, which are forms of organized crime. The project’s goal is to enhance law enforcement capabilities by making rhino horns detectable by “radiation detectors at airports and borders, leading to the arrest of poachers and traffickers.” This connects to SDG 16’s aim to “promote peaceful and inclusive societies” and “combat all forms of organized crime.” The initiative strengthens the capacity of national institutions like customs and border control to enforce laws against illicit trafficking.

Identified SDG Targets

1. SDG 15: Life on Land

   • Target 15.5: “Take urgent and significant action to reduce the degradation of natural habitats, halt the loss of biodiversity and, by 2020, protect and prevent the extinction of threatened species.” The article highlights the “declining rhino population” and the threat of extinction due to poaching. The Rhisotope Project is an urgent action designed to protect this threatened species.
   • Target 15.7: “Take urgent action to end poaching and trafficking of protected species of flora and fauna and address both demand and supply of illegal wildlife products.” This target is directly addressed. The project is a specific technological solution created to “end poaching and trafficking” of rhinos by making their horns (illegal wildlife products) detectable, thus disrupting the supply chain.

2. SDG 16: Peace, Justice and Strong Institutions

   • Target 16.4: “By 2030, significantly reduce illicit financial and arms flows, strengthen the recovery and return of stolen assets and combat all forms of organized crime.” Wildlife trafficking, as described in the article, is a form of organized crime. The project aims to combat this by enabling the detection and seizure of trafficked rhino horns, thereby disrupting the illicit flow of these high-value products.
   • Target 16.a: “Strengthen relevant national institutions, including through international cooperation, to build capacity at all levels… to prevent violence and combat… crime.” The project strengthens the capacity of national institutions, specifically customs and border agencies, by providing them with a new method (“radiation detectors at airports and borders”) to combat the crime of wildlife trafficking. The collaboration between a university, nuclear officials, and conservationists is an example of building capacity through cooperation.

Implied Indicators for Measuring Progress

1. For Target 15.5 (Protect threatened species)

   • Indicator: Rhino population numbers. The article provides a baseline, stating the global population is “approximately 27,000” and South Africa’s is “an estimated 16,000.” Progress would be measured by the stabilization or increase of these numbers over time.

2. For Target 15.7 (End poaching and trafficking)

   • Indicator: Annual number of rhinos poached. The article states that in South Africa, “about 500 rhinos are killed for their horns every year.” A reduction in this number would be a direct indicator of the project’s success.
   • Indicator: Number of arrests of poachers and traffickers. The article explicitly mentions that the project aims to lead to “the arrest of poachers and traffickers.” Tracking this data would measure the project’s impact on law enforcement outcomes.

3. For Target 16.4 (Combat organized crime)

   • Indicator: Number of seizures of illegal rhino horns. The project’s ability to make horns detectable in “full 40-foot shipping containers” implies that a key measure of success would be the number of successful detections and subsequent seizures by customs agents at borders.

Summary of Findings

Source: theguardian.com