From a Joint Announcement:
The World Resources Institute (WRI), Google, and a group of more than 40 partners launched Global Forest Watch (GFW), a dynamic online forest monitoring and alert system that empowers people everywhere to better manage forests. For the first time, Global Forest Watch unites the latest satellite technology, open data, and crowdsourcing to guarantee access to timely and reliable information about forests.
“Businesses, governments and communities desperately want better information about forests. Now, they have it,” said Dr. Andrew Steer, President and CEO, WRI. “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 recognized for their stewardship.”
According to data from the University of Maryland and Google, the world lost 2.3 million square kilometers (230 million hectares) of tree cover from 2000 to 2012—equivalent to 50 soccer fields of forest lost every minute of every day for 12 years. The countries with the highest tree cover loss are: Russia, Brazil, Canada, United States, and Indonesia.
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What’s New About Global Forest Watch
- High-resolution: Annual tree cover loss and gain data for the entire globe at a resolution of 30 meters, available for analysis and download.
- Near-real time: Monthly tree cover loss data for the humid tropics at a resolution of 500 meters
- Speed: Cloud computing, provided by Google, multiplying the speed at which data can be analyzed.
- The crowd: GFW unites high resolution information from satellites with the power of crowdsourcing.
- Free and easy to use: GFW is free to all and no technical expertise is needed.
- Alerts: When forest loss alerts are detected, a network of partners and citizens around the world can mobilize to take action.
- Analytical Tools: Layers showing boundaries of protected areas worldwide; logging, mining, palm oil and other concessions; daily forest fire alerts from NASA; agricultural commodities; and intact forest landscapes and biodiversity hotspots.
Direct to Global Forest Watch
See Also: Nine Maps that Explain the World’s Forests
Direct to Global Forest Watch
About Gary Price
