<p>Join our webinar for an overview of the satellite imagery and resources available on GFW. We will be joined by partners from KSAT and Planet to share how this satellite imagery can help users investigate what’s happening in the world’s forests. <a href="https://wri.zoom.us/webinar/register/7617086143771/WN_8_Q9dGGwQT2mqRpd4LgRZA" rel="noopener" target="_blank">Register here!</a></p>


Investigating Deforestation with Satellite Imagery

GLAD deforestation alerts in Central Africa, 2015-2020

Data and Research

GFW is first and foremost a data-driven platform. Read the latest forest research and analysis.

Data and Research | Global Forest Watch Blog

Central Africa

Central Africa | Global Forest Watch Blog

Congo Basin

Congo Basin | Global Forest Watch Blog

deforestation

deforestation | Global Forest Watch Blog

GLAD alerts

GLAD alerts | Global Forest Watch Blog

Katherine Shea

<p>Whether from rangers in <a rel="noreferrer noopener" href="https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=fjp0Ikw3gNQ&list=PLh91mManXhdkEZVZ9g3eioebe1oBMgPLD&index=6" target="_blank">Uganda</a>, civil society groups in <a rel="noreferrer noopener" href="https://gfw.global/2Mxfv4y" target="_blank">Madagascar</a>, environmental police in<a rel="noreferrer noopener" href="https://gfw.global/38deQxt" target="_blank"> Brazil</a> or Indigenous communities in <a rel="noreferrer noopener" href="https://gfw.global/393EJ1M" target="_blank">Peru</a>, we’ve had anecdotal evidence for years that improved data transparency is vital to reducing deforestation. Now, research lends empirical evidence to that claim. <a rel="noreferrer noopener" href="https://www.nature.com/articles/s41558-020-00956-w" target="_blank">A new study</a> from researchers at Global Forest Watch (GFW), the University of Maryland, Oregon State University and the University of Wisconsin investigated the rates of deforestation in regions of Central Africa where forests were being actively monitored with satellite data, and found that active monitoring lowered deforestation by 18%.</p>



<p>This finding provides evidence for the theory that when forest monitors and decision makers have access to credible, timely information about forest change, they are better able to intervene to prevent further deforestation.</p>



<h3 class="wp-block-heading"><strong>Active monitoring deters deforestation</strong></h3>



<p>The study applied econometric analysis to areas monitored through the GFW platform to test two hypotheses. The first was that the availability of near-real-time deforestation alerts (GLAD alerts) through the GFW platform would drive down national deforestation rates in countries where they are available. When countries that had early access to GLAD alerts were compared with those that gained access later, no significant difference was found between the two.</p>



<aside id="textbox"> <div><em><b>What are GLAD alerts?</b><p></p> GLAD alerts are satellite derived alerts that indicate areas of likely deforestation and are updated weekly. <a href="https://gfw.global/3q0N0L9" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">Click here</a> to learn more about what the alert system can do. </em></div> </aside>



<p>The second hypothesis asked whether the active use of alerts —approximated by the use of the <a href="https://gfw.global/3nhsR1k" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">MyGFW</a> subscription system — would affect deforestation in the areas being monitored. When this analysis was conducted for regions in Central Africa, the results revealed an 18% drop in deforestation for areas of active monitoring. Within the study area, the use of GFW contributed to 50,000 hectares (495.27 square kilometers) of avoided deforestation per year — an area roughly 3 times the size of Washington, DC. &nbsp;The study was designed to find the minimum possible effect of the alerts, which means the true impact is likely even greater.</p>



<p>On average across the tropics, monitoring contributed to reduced deforestation, but Central Africa was the only region in which the results held statistical significance. The results in Africa are most likely the strongest due to the lack of other forest monitoring options— GLAD alerts were one of the first, and remain one of the few, monitoring technologies for the region. In other regions like South America, alternative monitoring platforms could have reduced the signal of the GFW platform in the data. In Asia, usage of GFW may yet be too limited to detect an impact. </p>



<h3 class="wp-block-heading"><strong>Monitoring systems are a supplement to strong policy</strong></h3>



<p>The study also found that the decrease in deforestation was higher within protected areas and concessions. This suggests that GLAD alerts are particularly effective for enforcing existing deforestation policies, reinforcing the idea that data alone is not enough. Integrating strong policies with reliable monitoring systems may be a critical step towards measurably reducing deforestation.</p>



<p>Of course, people are more likely to be monitoring forest change in areas where deforestation is likely to happen, especially in places like protected areas, so separating this type of “hotspot-watching” from “monitoring with an intent to act” was critical for understanding how data plays a role in reducing deforestation. For this reason, users were separated by their self-described roles— be that researcher, park ranger or another party subscribed to deforestation alerts through MyGFW— and only users considered to be monitoring “with intent” were included in the study.</p>



<p>Other factors that influence deforestation, like altitude, soil type, distance to roads or ports and macroeconomic trends were controlled for in order to isolate the effects of monitoring on deforestation. Further research will be able to improve on this methodology to assess the impact of other monitoring tools, like <a href="https://pro.globalforestwatch.org/" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">GFW Pro</a>.</p>



<p>For years, people on the front lines of forest loss have relied on transparent data to fight deforestation. This research shows that tools like GFW can make a difference when properly implemented. Above all it shows that reliable, up-to-date data on forest change is a critical weapon in the fight against deforestation.</p>



<style type="text/css"></style>

Use of GLAD Alerts Led to 18% Reduction in Deforestation in Monitored African Forests

<p>Whether from rangers in <a rel="noreferrer noopener" href="https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=fjp0Ikw3gNQ&amp;list=PLh91mManXhdkEZVZ9g3eioebe1oBMgPLD&amp;index=6" target="_blank">Uganda</a>, civil society groups in <a rel="noreferrer noopener" href="https://gfw.global/2Mxfv4y" target="_blank">Madagascar</a>, environmental police in<a rel="noreferrer noopener" href="https://gfw.global/38deQxt" target="_blank"> Brazil</a> or Indigenous communities in <a rel="noreferrer noopener" href="https://gfw.global/393EJ1M" target="_blank">Peru</a>, we’ve had anecdotal evidence for years that improved data transparency is vital to reducing deforestation. Now, research lends empirical evidence to that claim. <a rel="noreferrer noopener" href="https://www.nature.com/articles/s41558-020-00956-w" target="_blank">A new study</a> from researchers at Global Forest Watch (GFW), the University of Maryland, Oregon State University and the University of Wisconsin investigated the rates of deforestation in regions of Central Africa where forests were being actively monitored with satellite data, and found that active monitoring lowered deforestation by 18%.</p>



<p>This finding provides evidence for the theory that when forest monitors and decision makers have access to credible, timely information about forest change, they are better able to intervene to prevent further deforestation.</p>



<h3><strong>Active monitoring deters deforestation</strong></h3>



<p>The study applied econometric analysis to areas monitored through the GFW platform to test two hypotheses. The first was that the availability of near-real-time deforestation alerts (GLAD alerts) through the GFW platform would drive down national deforestation rates in countries where they are available. When countries that had early access to GLAD alerts were compared with those that gained access later, no significant difference was found between the two.</p>



<aside id="textbox"> <div><em><b>What are GLAD alerts?</b><p></p> GLAD alerts are satellite derived alerts that indicate areas of likely deforestation and are updated weekly. <a href="https://gfw.global/3q0N0L9" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">Click here</a> to learn more about what the alert system can do. </em></div> </aside>



<p>The second hypothesis asked whether the active use of alerts —approximated by the use of the <a href="https://gfw.global/3nhsR1k" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">MyGFW</a> subscription system — would affect deforestation in the areas being monitored. When this analysis was conducted for regions in Central Africa, the results revealed an 18% drop in deforestation for areas of active monitoring. Within the study area, the use of GFW contributed to 50,000 hectares (495.27 square kilometers) of avoided deforestation per year — an area roughly 3 times the size of Washington, DC. &nbsp;The study was designed to find the minimum possible effect of the alerts, which means the true impact is likely even greater.</p>



<p>On average across the tropics, monitoring contributed to reduced deforestation, but Central Africa was the only region in which the results held statistical significance. The results in Africa are most likely the strongest due to the lack of other forest monitoring options— GLAD alerts were one of the first, and remain one of the few, monitoring technologies for the region. In other regions like South America, alternative monitoring platforms could have reduced the signal of the GFW platform in the data. In Asia, usage of GFW may yet be too limited to detect an impact. </p>



<h3><strong>Monitoring systems are a supplement to strong policy</strong></h3>



<p>The study also found that the decrease in deforestation was higher within protected areas and concessions. This suggests that GLAD alerts are particularly effective for enforcing existing deforestation policies, reinforcing the idea that data alone is not enough. Integrating strong policies with reliable monitoring systems may be a critical step towards measurably reducing deforestation.</p>



<p>Of course, people are more likely to be monitoring forest change in areas where deforestation is likely to happen, especially in places like protected areas, so separating this type of “hotspot-watching” from "monitoring with an intent to act" was critical for understanding how data plays a role in reducing deforestation. For this reason, users were separated by their self-described roles— be that researcher, park ranger or another party subscribed to deforestation alerts through MyGFW— and only users considered to be monitoring “with intent” were included in the study.</p>



<p>Other factors that influence deforestation, like altitude, soil type, distance to roads or ports and macroeconomic trends were controlled for in order to isolate the effects of monitoring on deforestation. Further research will be able to improve on this methodology to assess the impact of other monitoring tools, like <a href="https://pro.globalforestwatch.org/" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">GFW Pro</a>.</p>



<p>For years, people on the front lines of forest loss have relied on transparent data to fight deforestation. This research shows that tools like GFW can make a difference when properly implemented. Above all it shows that reliable, up-to-date data on forest change is a critical weapon in the fight against deforestation.</p>

A recent study shows that using GLAD deforestation alerts to monitor forests correlates with reduced forest losses—by at least 18% in Africa.

Use of GLAD Alerts Correlates with Reduced Deforestation | GFW Blog

Comment

Global Forest Watch Content

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Sarah Ruiz

Commodities

Read about the role forests play in the production of commodities around the world.

Commodities | Global Forest Watch Blog

Africa

Africa | Global Forest Watch Blog

commodities

commodities | Global Forest Watch Blog

DRC | Global Forest Watch Blog

land use

land use | Global Forest Watch Blog

Shifting Agriculture

Shifting Agriculture | Global Forest Watch Blog

shifting cultivation

shifting cultivation | Global Forest Watch Blog

Sustainable Agriculture

Sustainable Agriculture | Global Forest Watch Blog

Sustainable Livlihoods

Sustainable Livlihoods | Global Forest Watch Blog

Liz Goldman

Giuseppe Molinario

<p>When forest degradation and destruction meet local communities who are simply feeding themselves or making their livelihoods, the case for forest preservation gets complicated. </p>



<p>In Sub-Saharan Africa, particularly the Congo Basin, this pattern of clearing and regrowth for subsistence — dubbed shifting cultivation — is thought to have driven the majority of recent, extensive tree cover loss in the region. But a <a rel="noreferrer noopener" aria-label=" (opens in a new tab)" href="https://www.mdpi.com/2073-445X/9/1/23/htm" target="_blank">new study</a> conducted in the Democratic Republic of Congo (DRC) by the University of Maryland shows that more loss could be associated with commercial land uses like plantations, mining or logging than previously thought, potentially up to ten times higher than prior reports. </p>



<h3 class="wp-block-heading"><strong>What is shifting cultivation?</strong> </h3>



<p>Shifting cultivation is a form of small-scale agriculture where trees are cleared for crops for a few seasons and then left fallow for several years to regrow vegetation and replenish nutrients in the soil before being cleared again. This land use is often assumed to produce just enough for subsistence farming that sustains local communities. Although this practice has been historically employed in a low-density way, allowing for regeneration of tree cover, current practices often don’t allow enough time for forests to recover to their pre-disturbance state. Rapid population growth has increased demand — simultaneously expanding clearing into primary forest and intensifying production on already cleared land. There are not many economically viable alternatives for farmers in what is one of the poorest countries in the world. </p>



<p>In the DRC, most of this shifting cultivation takes place in the “rural complex” —  a patchwork area of settlements, rivers and transportation routes, crops and fallow vegetation in various regeneration stages and forests — or in small, isolated clearings within the more pristine primary forest. Tackling loss driven by shifting cultivation is tricky, since it is inherently linked to the survival of rural communities. In the DRC, shifting cultivation accounts for over 90% of tree cover loss, which has led the global development aid community to focus on introducing more efficient agricultural practices that increase yields and reduce expansion onto new land. This support includes the provision of improved seed varieties, fertilization, mechanization, improved transportation to markets, as well as other tools. </p>



<div class="flourish-embed flourish-photo-slider" data-src="visualisation/1611635?1759"><script src="https://public.flourish.studio/resources/embed.js"></script></div>



<div class="attribute"> 
The rural complex (yellow) can be seen in satellite imagery as a patchwork of brighter green spreading out from around the town of Buta, DRC.
</div>



<h3 class="wp-block-heading"><strong>Commodity versus livelihood-driven loss </strong></h3>



<p>In reality, the situation is more nuanced. Land uses overlap and often less-visible, commercial interests can place added pressure on areas of shifting cultivation. For example, in some parts of the DRC’s rural complex, shifting cultivation is actually producing cash crops linked to commodity markets. Most <a rel="noreferrer noopener" aria-label=" (opens in a new tab)" href="https://advances.sciencemag.org/content/4/11/eaat2993" target="_blank">reports</a> estimate <a href="https://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/abs/pii/S0034425712000430" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener" aria-label="commodity driven loss (opens in a new tab)">commodity driven loss</a> in the DRC to be less than 1% of total tree cover loss, but these estimates can overlook the underlying dynamics as they try to quantify the phenomenon of tree cover loss on a national scale.</p>



<div class="imagecenter"><img decoding="async" class=" wp-image-3569 alignright" style="padding-bottom: 10px;" alt="Shifting agriculture expansion" src="https://dev-global-forest-watch-blog.pantheonsite.io/wp-content/uploads/2020/03/ezgif.com-resize-6.gif" width="100%">Expansion of the rural complex (yellow) since 2000. </div>



<p>The recent study analyzed satellite imagery of the rural complex and found that nearly 12% of the tree cover loss associated with expansion of the rural complex, and 9% of the tree cover loss occurring in more remote clearings, had either large-scale commercial logging, mining or plantations within it. </p>



<p>The results of this analysis gave a quantitative measure to something that was previously only known anecdotally  —  that workers on these industrial operations and their families are clearing forest for their farms, building materials and energy needs. Therefore, a higher percentage of tree cover loss is ultimately attributable to the large commercial operations that attract and employ these workers and their communities. </p>



<p>According to CIFOR research scientist, Dr. Amy Ickowitz, who
has published extensively on the topic of shifting agriculture, this analysis
is critical to gain a more complete picture of land use dynamics. </p>



<p>“It does not look at shifting cultivation in Africa as a
separate ‘traditional’ system, but instead uses evidence to look at the
interrelationships between shifting cultivation and the commercial sector.”</p>



<h3 class="wp-block-heading"><strong>The true footprint of commercial activities </strong></h3>



<p>These findings highlight a gap in knowledge of tree cover loss from commercial operations in the DRC. More accurate attribution of loss to commercial operations could influence future land use decisions and better inform sustainable development projects. </p>



<p>Organizations like the Consumer Goods Forum and the Tropical Forest Alliance, as well as international commitments like the New York Declaration on Forests and Aichi Biodiversity Targets have set goals to eliminate deforestation from agricultural supply chains by 2020. But how is this type of indirect deforestation for commodity production accounted for? The forest loss associated with commercial operations as they expand has largely been considered external to the footprint of consumer good corporations themselves. But this study shows the need to adequately incorporate the impacts of commodity-related shifting agriculture into commercial deforestation targets. Given that 2020 goals are unlikely to be met, these indirect losses should be fully considered as old goals are evaluated and new targets are set. </p>



<p>These implications are particularly important in the DRC, which has half of all the Congo Basin forests — the second largest tropical forest in the world. Fully understanding the dynamics that drive loss in this forest will help to better protect it while also providing well-informed sustainable development options to the people that depend on it for their livelihoods. Future research should continue to assess the true footprint of growing commercial activity, for the DRC and across Central Africa.</p>



<hr> 

<div class="attribute" style="”padding-bottom:" 10px;”="">

BANNER PHOTO: Agriculture and forests side by side in the Democratic Republic of Congo. Photo by <a href="https://www.flickr.com/photos/cifor/29572479458/in/album-72157699117608785/" target="_blank" rel="noopener noreferrer">Axel Fassio/CIFOR</a>.
 

</div> 

 

<hr>



<style type="text/css"></style>



<p></p>

Commodity Driven Tree Cover Loss in Congo May Be 10 Times Higher Than Previous Estimates

<p>When forest degradation and destruction meet local communities who are simply feeding themselves or making their livelihoods, the case for forest preservation gets complicated. </p>



<p>In Sub-Saharan Africa, particularly the Congo Basin, this pattern of clearing and regrowth for subsistence — dubbed shifting cultivation — is thought to have driven the majority of recent, extensive tree cover loss in the region. But a <a rel="noreferrer noopener" aria-label=" (opens in a new tab)" href="https://www.mdpi.com/2073-445X/9/1/23/htm" target="_blank">new study</a> conducted in the Democratic Republic of Congo (DRC) by the University of Maryland shows that more loss could be associated with commercial land uses like plantations, mining or logging than previously thought, potentially up to ten times higher than prior reports. </p>



<h3><strong>What is shifting cultivation?</strong> </h3>



<p>Shifting cultivation is a form of small-scale agriculture where trees are cleared for crops for a few seasons and then left fallow for several years to regrow vegetation and replenish nutrients in the soil before being cleared again. This land use is often assumed to produce just enough for subsistence farming that sustains local communities. Although this practice has been historically employed in a low-density way, allowing for regeneration of tree cover, current practices often don't allow enough time for forests to recover to their pre-disturbance state. Rapid population growth has increased demand — simultaneously expanding clearing into primary forest and intensifying production on already cleared land. There are not many economically viable alternatives for farmers in what is one of the poorest countries in the world. </p>



<p>In the DRC, most of this shifting cultivation takes place in the “rural complex” —  a patchwork area of settlements, rivers and transportation routes, crops and fallow vegetation in various regeneration stages and forests — or in small, isolated clearings within the more pristine primary forest. Tackling loss driven by shifting cultivation is tricky, since it is inherently linked to the survival of rural communities. In the DRC, shifting cultivation accounts for over 90% of tree cover loss, which has led the global development aid community to focus on introducing more efficient agricultural practices that increase yields and reduce expansion onto new land. This support includes the provision of improved seed varieties, fertilization, mechanization, improved transportation to markets, as well as other tools. </p>



<div class="flourish-embed flourish-photo-slider" data-src="visualisation/1611635?1759"><script src="https://public.flourish.studio/resources/embed.js"></script></div>



<div class="attribute"> 
The rural complex (yellow) can be seen in satellite imagery as a patchwork of brighter green spreading out from around the town of Buta, DRC.
</div>



<h3><strong>Commodity versus livelihood-driven loss </strong></h3>



<p>In reality, the situation is more nuanced. Land uses overlap and often less-visible, commercial interests can place added pressure on areas of shifting cultivation. For example, in some parts of the DRC’s rural complex, shifting cultivation is actually producing cash crops linked to commodity markets. Most <a rel="noreferrer noopener" aria-label=" (opens in a new tab)" href="https://advances.sciencemag.org/content/4/11/eaat2993" target="_blank">reports</a> estimate <a href="https://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/abs/pii/S0034425712000430" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener" aria-label="commodity driven loss (opens in a new tab)">commodity driven loss</a> in the DRC to be less than 1% of total tree cover loss, but these estimates can overlook the underlying dynamics as they try to quantify the phenomenon of tree cover loss on a national scale.</p>



<div class="imagecenter"><img class=" wp-image-3569 alignright" style="padding-bottom: 10px;" alt="Shifting agriculture expansion" src="https://dev-global-forest-watch-blog.pantheonsite.io/wp-content/uploads/2020/03/ezgif.com-resize-6.gif" width="100%">Expansion of the rural complex (yellow) since 2000. </div>



<p>The recent study analyzed satellite imagery of the rural complex and found that nearly 12% of the tree cover loss associated with expansion of the rural complex, and 9% of the tree cover loss occurring in more remote clearings, had either large-scale commercial logging, mining or plantations within it. </p>



<p>The results of this analysis gave a quantitative measure to something that was previously only known anecdotally  —  that workers on these industrial operations and their families are clearing forest for their farms, building materials and energy needs. Therefore, a higher percentage of tree cover loss is ultimately attributable to the large commercial operations that attract and employ these workers and their communities. </p>



<p>According to CIFOR research scientist, Dr. Amy Ickowitz, who
has published extensively on the topic of shifting agriculture, this analysis
is critical to gain a more complete picture of land use dynamics. </p>



<p>“It does not look at shifting cultivation in Africa as a
separate ‘traditional’ system, but instead uses evidence to look at the
interrelationships between shifting cultivation and the commercial sector.”</p>



<h3><strong>The true footprint of commercial activities </strong></h3>



<p>These findings highlight a gap in knowledge of tree cover loss from commercial operations in the DRC. More accurate attribution of loss to commercial operations could influence future land use decisions and better inform sustainable development projects. </p>



<p>Organizations like the Consumer Goods Forum and the Tropical Forest Alliance, as well as international commitments like the New York Declaration on Forests and Aichi Biodiversity Targets have set goals to eliminate deforestation from agricultural supply chains by 2020. But how is this type of indirect deforestation for commodity production accounted for? The forest loss associated with commercial operations as they expand has largely been considered external to the footprint of consumer good corporations themselves. But this study shows the need to adequately incorporate the impacts of commodity-related shifting agriculture into commercial deforestation targets. Given that 2020 goals are unlikely to be met, these indirect losses should be fully considered as old goals are evaluated and new targets are set. </p>



<p>These implications are particularly important in the DRC, which has half of all the Congo Basin forests — the second largest tropical forest in the world. Fully understanding the dynamics that drive loss in this forest will help to better protect it while also providing well-informed sustainable development options to the people that depend on it for their livelihoods. Future research should continue to assess the true footprint of growing commercial activity, for the DRC and across Central Africa.</p>



<hr> 

<div class="attribute" style="”padding-bottom:" 10px;”="">

BANNER PHOTO: Agriculture and forests side by side in the Democratic Republic of Congo. Photo by <a href="https://www.flickr.com/photos/cifor/29572479458/in/album-72157699117608785/" target="_blank" rel="noopener noreferrer">Axel Fassio/CIFOR</a>.
 

</div> 

 

<hr>





<p></p>

Shifting cultivation is thought to drive the majority of tree cover loss in the DRC. But a new study finds that loss may be due in part to commodities.

Filter by category and topics

Use of GLAD Alerts Led to 18% Reduction in Deforestation in Monitored African Forests

Commodity Driven Tree Cover Loss in Congo May Be 10 Times Higher Than Previous Estimates