Google mapping to power deforestation alert system
Google, World Resources Institute and a group of 40 businesses and NGOs will use latest satellite tracking technology and information for online forest monitoring system
The World Resources Institute (WRI) helped launch a major new initiative last week that will see a dynamic online forest monitoring and alert system combat the worsening threat of deforestation.
The Global Forest Watch will use satellite and analytics technology such as Google Earth Engine and Google Maps Engine to spearhead a new crackdown on illegal deforestation.
GFW will allow governments to monitor where forest clearing is occurring and track illegal logging almost immediately.
The project is being orchestrated by the WRI, Google and a group of 40 businesses and NGOs, and will use the latest satellite tracking technology and information on tree cover loss.
The group hopes that providing free access to monthly tree cover loss data for the humid tropics at a resolution of 500 metres will allow regulators to detect illegal logging.
Dr Andrew Steer, president of WRI said: "Global Forest Watch is a near-real time monitoring platform that will fundamentally change the way people and businesses manage forests. From now on, the bad guys cannot hide and the good guys will be recognised for their stewardship."
The Global Forest Watch will enable indigenous communities and other groups to upload alerts when encroachment in forest areas, providing further information on areas at risk of illegal logging.
Rebecca Moore, engineering manager for Google Earth Outreach and Earth Engine, said: "Global Forest Watch is an ambitious vision, and yet it's both timely and achievable given WRI's knowledge of environmental science and policy, strong partnerships, and the high-performance Google cloud technology that we're donating to this initiative."
It is partnering with more than 40 organizations with "very broad reach," such as the United Nations Environment Programme, the Jane Goodall Institute and Google.
Forests have been described as the lungs of the planet, as plants take in carbon dioxide and give off oxygen. They also release water vapor, contributing to the water cycle. Deforestation is considered one of the contributing factors to global climate change.
Researchers from the University of Maryland and Google have found that between 2000 and 2012, 2.3 million square km of tree cover was lost and just 0.8 million square km had regrown or been restored.
