Global Heritage Network (GHN), established by Global Heritage Fund

Global Heritage Fund

Global Heritage Fund is a non-profit organization that operates internationally. Its mission statement says that it exists to protect and preserve significant and endangered cultural heritage sites in the developing world, through scientific excellence and community development...

 (GHF), is an early warning and threats monitoring system for cultural heritage sites in developing countries. GHN combines Google Earth

Google Earth

Google Earth is a virtual globe, map and geographical information program that was originally called EarthViewer 3D, and was created by Keyhole, Inc, a Central Intelligence Agency funded company acquired by Google in 2004 . It maps the Earth by the superimposition of images obtained from satellite...

 satellite imaging technology

Satellite imagery

Satellite imagery consists of photographs of Earth or other planets made by means of artificial satellites.- History :The first images from space were taken on sub-orbital flights. The U.S-launched V-2 flight on October 24, 1946 took one image every 1.5 seconds...

, ground reporting and mapping, and social networking to enable international conservation experts and local stakeholders to clearly identify and solve imminent threats within the legal core and protected areas of each site. GHN features an online community

Online community

An online community is a virtual community that exists online and whose members enable its existence through taking part in membership ritual. An online community can take the form of an information system where anyone can post content, such as a Bulletin board system or one where only a restricted...

 for networking and discussion of possible solutions, while critical support and software for the platform has been donated by Google

Google

Google Inc. is an American multinational public corporation invested in Internet search, cloud computing, and advertising technologies. Google hosts and develops a number of Internet-based services and products, and generates profit primarily from advertising through its AdWords program...

, DigitalGlobe

DigitalGlobe

DigitalGlobe, of Longmont, Colorado, USA, is a commercial vendor of space imagery and geospatial content, and operator of civilian remote sensing spacecraft...

, and Environmental Systems Research Institute.

Network

Currently, GHN displays approximately 500 globally significant sites in the developing world, color-coded by threat level: Destroyed (Black), Rescue Needed (Red), At Risk (Yellow), Stable (Green). Users who have downloaded the Google Earth plug-in may zoom in and out of any of these locations, many of which feature detailed site mapping, photographs, and written profiles. According to GHN's website, national governments, local communities, professional archaeologists and conservators or other concerned parties can request that additional major cultural heritage sites be added to GHN.

GHN invites global conservation experts and local stakeholders to become site coordinators, which entails guiding a GHN site through a program of investigation, planning, scientific conservation, community development, and partnerships.