GHF is pleased to announce that Global Heritage Network (GHN), an early warning and collaborative solutions platform for cultural heritage sites in developing countries, was the recent subject of a National Geographic online report.

“Spy Satellites, Google Earth Now Guarding World’s Great Ancient Sites” is the headline featured atop the magazine’s Daily News report, which describes in detail the development of GHN and how it is being used internationally by archaeologists and conservators to safeguard the developing world’s most spectacular sites. The article also highlights the tremendous technological support GHF has received from partners Ashtech, Digital Globe, Google Earth, ITT, and Environmental Systems Research Institute.

“What we’re trying to do is really bring the world’s archaeologists, conservators, historians, and other experts together and help them organize and help manage these sites of interest,” GHF Executive Director Jeff Morgan says in the article. “We provide satellite mapping, scientific dossiers, information on legal status, all the relevant data about these sites so that people can make informed decisions.”

GHF project site Banteay Chhmar, which has benefited from online collaboration between conservators in Asia, Europe and North America, is specifically referenced in the article. The ancient Khmer temple complex, whose GHN profile features a stunning array of satellite maps and imagery, is Cambodia’s leading nomination for UNESCO World Heritage designation.

The goal of GHN is to enable the collaboration of experts and anyone interested in monitoring threats in places where resources are scarce. GHN’s current database focuses on an initial collection of approximately 500 globally significant sites in the developing world—regions with limited financial resources and expertise available—as these are the sites most at risk, and which display the greatest potential to drive sustainable local economic growth.

Click here to read the article on National Geographic Online