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Geneviève Ndjiki, Action for Sustainable Development

Data is Helping Protect Threatened Forests and Biodiversity in Cameroon’s Mengamé Gorilla SanctuaryXPTO

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<p>Cameroon has very rich biological diversity, housed within several ecosystems that are representative of the ecosystems of Africa — the reason Cameroon is often described as “Africa in miniature.” The nation's biological diversity underpins its economy and has scientific and medicinal importance for Cameroon’s people.</p>



<p>In order to meet its commitments to protect the environment after the <a href="https://www.un.org/en/conferences/environment/rio1992" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">1992 United Nations Conference on Environment and Development</a>, and consequently its commitment to the Convention on Biological Diversity, objective 11 of Cameroon’s <a href="https://www.cbd.int/doc/world/cm/cm-nbsap-v2-en.pdf" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">National Biodiversity Strategy and Action Plan</a> calls for at least 30% of the national territory to be designated as protected areas, which aim to protect nature and biodiversity from human activities and pressures.</p>



<p>To this end, several protected areas (national parks, reserves, etc.) were established, including the Mengamé Gorilla Sanctuary. This sanctuary faces several threats including the loss of forest cover, which leads to fragmentation of the habitat found there.</p>



<p>Our organization, Action for Sustainable Development, works to respond to the increasing threat of deforestation in Mengamé. In 2023, we received a Global Forest Watch (GFW) Small Grants Fund (SGF) grant to help us monitor forests in the sanctuary. We found that forest loss over the last three years is increasing, and that a new management plan for the sanctuary based on better data is needed to protect the sanctuary’s forests and the biodiversity that depends on them.</p>



<h2 class="wp-block-heading"><strong>The Mengamé Gorilla Sanctuary</strong></h2>



<p>The Mengamé Gorilla Sanctuary (MGS) belongs to the Tri-national Dja-Odzala-Minkébé (TRIDOM) complex, a cross-border area encompassing 10% of the Congo Basin’s rainforests and 11 protected areas across Cameroon, Congo and Gabon. TRIDOM is a key area for the conservation of the biodiversity of the Congo Basin, including iconic large mammals such as elephants, chimpanzees and gorillas. The MGS is located in the equatorial forest zone in the southern part of Cameroon on the border with Gabon. It covers 26,780 hectares and straddles the districts of Mvangan in Mvila subdivision and Oveng district in Dja-et Lobo subdivision. The MGS is home to a diversity of wildlife including primates like the Western Lowland Gorilla, which is critically endangered due to human activities that have intensified over the years, such as deforestation leading to loss of habitat as well as poaching.</p>



<figure class="wp-block-image size-large"><img src="https://dev-global-forest-watch-blog.pantheonsite.io/wp-content/uploads/2024/08/Mengame-2048x1448.png" alt="" class="wp-image-17782"/><figcaption class="wp-element-caption"><em>The area occupied by the MGS in the two districts (Mvangan and Oveng). Both these districts have several small villages surrounding the sanctuary.</em></figcaption></figure>



<h2 class="wp-block-heading"><strong>Satellite data reveals increasing loss of the sanctuary's forest cover</strong></h2>



<p>Action for Sustainable Development (ASD), a Cameroonian civil society organization, has been able to use the tools available from GFW to conduct satellite monitoring of forest cover change in protected areas. As part of our SGF project “Participatory monitoring of forest cover in and around the MGS,” we used GFW’s near-real-time integrated deforestation alerts to identify areas of forest loss, and supported park agents and others in the community to use GFW tools to investigate the alerts.</p>



<p>We analyzed alerts for two time periods over three years (2021-2023) and found that for the first period, from January 1, 2021 to July 20, 2022, more than 937 deforestation alerts were recorded totaling eight hectares of forest loss. The map below shows the distribution of these alerts in the two districts (896 alerts in the part of the sanctuary located in the Mvangan district and 41 alerts in the part of the sanctuary located in the Oveng district).</p>



<figure class="wp-block-image size-large"><img src="https://dev-global-forest-watch-blog.pantheonsite.io/wp-content/uploads/2024/08/Mengame-final1-2048x1448.png" alt="" class="wp-image-17784"/><figcaption class="wp-element-caption"><em>Map showing deforestation alerts in the MGS between January 1, 2021 and July 20, 2022.</em></figcaption></figure>



<figure class="wp-block-image size-full"><img src="https://dev-global-forest-watch-blog.pantheonsite.io/wp-content/uploads/2024/08/MGS-field-deployment-ASD.jpg" alt="" class="wp-image-17751"/><figcaption class="wp-element-caption"><em>Field deployment of a mixed team (ecoguards and community) to identify the causes of deforestation alerts. Credit: ASD</em></figcaption></figure>



<figure class="wp-block-image size-full"><img src="https://dev-global-forest-watch-blog.pantheonsite.io/wp-content/uploads/2024/08/MGS-field-deployment-2-ASD.jpg" alt="" class="wp-image-17752"/><figcaption class="wp-element-caption"><em>Field deployment of a mixed team (ecoguards and ASD) to identify the causes of deforestation alerts. Credit: ASD</em></figcaption></figure>



<p>Likewise, for the second period between July 21, 2022 and December 31, 2023, more than 1,436 deforestation alerts were recorded, including 1,292 in the part of the sanctuary located in the Mvangan district and 144 in the part of the sanctuary located in the Oveng district. The total of these deforestation alerts represents a loss of 17 hectares of forest.</p>



<p>The Mengamé gorilla sanctuary has therefore already lost nearly 25 hectares of forest in just three years from 2021 to 2023. These findings indicate that, over time, anthropogenic activity is increasing in the sanctuary. Investigations carried out to determine the main causes of this loss of forest cover showed that this has been caused by the establishment or extension of agricultural plots (cocoa and banana plantations). This pressure is growing due to the increase in the price of cocoa on the international market — and cocoa is the main cash crop in this area. If nothing is done, the sanctuary will be severely depleted and degraded the next several years.</p>



<figure class="wp-block-image size-large"><img src="https://dev-global-forest-watch-blog.pantheonsite.io/wp-content/uploads/2024/08/Mengame-final2-2048x1448.png" alt="" class="wp-image-17785"/><figcaption class="wp-element-caption"><em>Deforestation alerts in the Mengamé gorilla sanctuary between July 21, 2022 and December 31, 2023.</em></figcaption></figure>



<h2 class="wp-block-heading"><strong>To protect the sanctuary, a new management plan is needed</strong></h2>



<p>To understand the motivations or reasons that lead local communities to set up their cocoa plantations and others in the sanctuary, our team conducted a survey as part of our project.</p>



<p>Two major reasons were mentioned by local communities to justify their actions:</p>



<p>The first reason is the lack of collaboration between local communities and conservation services. Indeed, 38% of the population thinks that they are not involved in the management of the sanctuary. There is almost no conservation activity within the sanctuary or ecotourism, appearing to local communities to have been abandoned for several years. Thus, they thought that the sanctuary was no longer a priority for the State. Our project has since succeeded in bringing together local communities, the conservation service and civil society organizations as part of a more participatory monitoring of the sanctuary.</p>



<p>The second reason is the fact that the space dedicated to the communities' rural activities is becoming insufficient. 22% of local communities believe that the area dedicated to their activities is becoming insufficient given the rapid population growth. Yet despite these changes, the development and management plan for the sanctuary, which should be renewed every five years to better take into account the realities of all stakeholders, has not been updated since 2007. This plan provides information about the sanctuary based on uses, priorities, threats and more, but not only is it out of date, it is also based partially on data from the neighboring Kom National Park as there is insufficient data on the sanctuary itself. Furthermore, the demarcation of the boundaries of the sanctuary had not been effective in all the riverside villages, and currently the boundaries that had been demarcated are no longer visible.</p>



<p>Therefore, development of a new management plan for the sanctuary is needed. This plan should:</p>



<ul>
<li>Take into account the increase in population and suggest effective ways for the development of alternative income-generating activities for local communities</li>



<li>Place emphasis on promoting ecotourism by developing infrastructure for this purpose</li>



<li>Involve local communities in the participatory management of the sanctuary</li>



<li>Provide updated data on biodiversity (fauna and flora species present and their densities, etc.)</li>



<li>Place emphasis on transboundary management of the sanctuary</li>
</ul>



<p>The MGS’s forests and the valuable biodiversity that depends on them can still be protected if the sanctuary implements a plan and manages the sanctuary based on recent, accurate data. The data collected by ASD using GFW tools is an important part of this and can help us preserve Mengamé Gorilla Sanctuary for years to come.</p>



<p></p>



<p><em>Learn more about ASD: Visit </em><a href="https://www.asd.contact/" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener"><em>their website</em></a><em> and follow them on </em><a href="https://www.facebook.com/ASDCameroun" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener"><em>Facebook</em></a><em>, </em><a href="https://twitter.com/asdcameroun" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener"><em>Twitter/X</em></a><em> and </em><a href="https://www.linkedin.com/company/action-for-sustainable-development-asd/" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener"><em>LinkedIn</em></a><em>.</em>&nbsp;</p>



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<p></p>



<p>Le Cameroun possède une diversité biologique très riche, hébergée dans plusieurs écosystèmes représentatifs des écosystèmes africains – raison pour laquelle le Cameroun est souvent décrit comme « l’Afrique en miniature ». La diversité biologique du pays soutient son économie et revêt une importance scientifique et médicinale pour la population camerounaise.</p>



<p>Afin de respecter ses engagements en matière de protection de l’environnement après la <a href="mailto:https://www.un.org/fr/conferences/environment/rio1992" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">Conférence des Nations Unies sur l’environnement et le développement en 1992</a>, et par conséquent son engagement envers la Convention sur la diversité biologique, l’objectif 11 de la <a href="https://www.cbd.int/doc/world/cm/cm-nbsap-v2-en.pdf" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">Stratégie nationale et du plan d’action pour la biodiversité</a> du Cameroun prévoit qu’au moins 30% du territoire national soient désignés comme aires protégées, destinées à protéger la nature et la biodiversité des activités et pressions humaines.</p>



<p>À cet effet, plusieurs aires protégées (parcs nationaux, réserves, etc.) ont été créées, parmi lesquels le Sanctuaire à gorilles de Mengamé. Ce sanctuaire fait face à plusieurs menaces dont la perte du couvert forestier, qui entraîne une fragmentation de l’habitat qui s’y trouve.</p>



<p>Notre organisation, Action for Sustainable Development, s’efforce de répondre à la menace croissante de déforestation à Mengamé. En 2023, nous avons reçu une subvention du Fonds de petites subventions (SGF) de Global Forest Watch (GFW) pour nous aider à surveiller les forêts du sanctuaire. Nous avons constaté que la perte de forêt au cours des trois dernières années est en augmentation et qu’un nouveau plan de gestion du sanctuaire basé sur de meilleures données est nécessaire pour protéger les forêts du sanctuaire et la biodiversité qui en dépend.&nbsp;</p>



<h2 class="wp-block-heading"><strong>Le sanctuaire à gorilles de Mengamé </strong><strong></strong></h2>



<p>Le Sanctuaire à Gorilles de Mengamé (SGM) fait partie du complexe trinational Dja-Odzala-Minkébé (TRIDOM), une zone transfrontalière englobant 10 % des forêts tropicales du bassin du Congo et 11 aires protégées au Cameroun, au Congo et au Gabon. Le TRIDOM est une zone clé pour la conservation de la biodiversité du bassin du Congo, notamment des grands mammifères emblématiques tels que les éléphants, les chimpanzés et les gorilles. Le SGM est situé dans la zone de forêt équatoriale dans la partie Sud du Cameroun à la frontière avec le Gabon. Il couvre 26 780 ha et chevauche les districts de Mvangan dans l'arrondissement de la Mvila et le district d'Oveng dans l'arrondissement du Dja-et Lobo. Le SGM abrite une faune diversifiée, notamment des primates comme le gorille des plaines de l'Ouest, qui est en danger critique d'extinction en raison des activités humaines qui se sont intensifiées au fil des ans, telles que la déforestation entraînant la perte de l’habitat, ainsi que le braconnage.</p>



<figure class="wp-block-image size-large"><img src="https://dev-global-forest-watch-blog.pantheonsite.io/wp-content/uploads/2024/08/Mengame-2048x1448.png" alt="" class="wp-image-17782"/><figcaption class="wp-element-caption"><em>La zone occupée par le SGM dans les deux districts (Mvangan et Oveng). Ces deux districts comptent plusieurs petits villages entourant le sanctuaire.</em></figcaption></figure>



<h2 class="wp-block-heading"><strong>Les données satellitaires révèlent une perte croissante du couvert forestier du sanctuaire</strong></h2>



<p>Action for Sustainable Development (ASD), une organisation de la société civile camerounaise, a pu utiliser les outils mis à disposition par GFW pour effectuer un suivi satellitaire de l’évolution du couvert forestier dans les aires protégées. Dans le cadre de notre projet SGF « Suivi participatif du couvert forestier dans et autour du SGM », nous avons utilisé les alertes de déforestation intégrées en temps quasi réel de GFW pour identifier les zones de perte de forêt, et avons aidé les écogardes du parc et d’autres membres de la communauté à utiliser les outils du GFW pour enquêter sur les alertes.</p>



<p>Nous avons analysé les alertes sur deux périodes pendant trois ans (2021-2023) et constaté que pour la première période, du 1er janvier 2021 au 20 juillet 2022, plus de 937 alertes de déforestation ont été enregistrées totalisant huit hectares de perte du couvert forestier. La carte ci-dessous montre la répartition de ces alertes dans les deux districts (896 alertes dans la partie du sanctuaire située dans le district de Mvangan et 41 alertes dans la partie du sanctuaire située dans le district d'Oveng).</p>



<figure class="wp-block-image size-large"><img src="https://dev-global-forest-watch-blog.pantheonsite.io/wp-content/uploads/2024/08/Mengame-final1-2048x1448.png" alt="" class="wp-image-17784"/><figcaption class="wp-element-caption"><em>Carte montrant les alertes de déforestation dans le SGM entre le 1er janvier 2021 et le 20 juillet 2022.</em></figcaption></figure>



<figure class="wp-block-image size-full"><img src="https://dev-global-forest-watch-blog.pantheonsite.io/wp-content/uploads/2024/08/MGS-field-deployment-ASD.jpg" alt="" class="wp-image-17751"/><figcaption class="wp-element-caption"><em>Déploiement sur le terrain d'une équipe mixte (écogardes et communauté) pour identifier les causes des alertes de déforestation.</em></figcaption></figure>



<figure class="wp-block-image size-full"><img src="https://dev-global-forest-watch-blog.pantheonsite.io/wp-content/uploads/2024/08/MGS-field-deployment-2-ASD.jpg" alt="" class="wp-image-17752"/><figcaption class="wp-element-caption"><em>Déploiement sur le terrain d'une équipe mixte (écogardes et ASD) pour identifier les causes des alertes de déforestation.</em></figcaption></figure>



<p>De même, pour la deuxième période entre le 21 juillet 2022 et le 31 décembre 2023, plus de 1 436 alertes de déforestation ont été enregistrées, dont 1 292 dans la partie du sanctuaire située dans le district de Mvangan et 144 dans la partie du sanctuaire située dans le district d’Oveng. Le total de ces alertes de déforestation représente une perte de 17 hectares de forêt.</p>



<p>Le sanctuaire à gorilles de Mengamé a donc déjà perdu près de 25 hectares de forêt en seulement trois ans, de 2021 à 2023. Ces résultats indiquent qu’au fil du temps, l’activité anthropique augmente dans le sanctuaire. Les investigations menées pour déterminer les principales causes de cette perte du couvert forestier ont montré que celle-ci est due à l’implantation ou à l’extension des parcelles agricoles (cacaoyères et bananeraies). Cette pression s’accroît en raison de l’augmentation du prix du cacao sur le marché international – et le cacao est la principale culture de rente dans cette zone. Si rien n’est fait, le sanctuaire sera gravement appauvri et dégradé dans les prochaines années.</p>



<figure class="wp-block-image size-large"><img src="https://dev-global-forest-watch-blog.pantheonsite.io/wp-content/uploads/2024/08/Mengame-final2-2048x1448.png" alt="" class="wp-image-17785"/><figcaption class="wp-element-caption"><em>Alertes de déforestation dans le sanctuaire à gorilles de Mengamé entre le 21 juillet 2022 et le 31 décembre 2023.</em></figcaption></figure>



<h2 class="wp-block-heading"><strong>Pour protéger le sanctuaire, un nouveau plan d’aménagement est nécessaire</strong></h2>



<p>Pour comprendre les motivations ou les raisons qui poussent les communautés locales à installer leurs plantations de cacao et d'autres dans le sanctuaire, notre équipe a mené une enquête dans le cadre de notre projet.</p>



<p>Deux raisons majeures ont été évoquées par les communautés locales pour justifier leurs actions :</p>



<p>La première raison est le manque de collaboration entre les communautés locales et les services de la conservation. En effet, 38% de la population pense ne pas être impliquée dans la gestion du sanctuaire. Il n’y a quasiment aucune activité de conservation au sein du sanctuaire ni d’écotourisme, ce qui donne aux communautés locales l’impression d’être abandonnées depuis plusieurs années. Ainsi, elles pensaient que le sanctuaire n’était plus une priorité pour l’État. Notre projet a ainsi réussi à réunir les communautés locales, le service de la conservation et les organisations de la société civile dans le cadre d’un suivi plus participatif du sanctuaire.</p>



<p>La deuxième raison est le fait que l’espace dédié aux activités rurales des communautés devient insuffisant. 22 % des communautés locales estiment que la surface dédiée à leurs activités devient insuffisante compte tenu de la croissance rapide de la population. Pourtant, malgré ces changements, le plan d’aménagement et de gestion du sanctuaire, qui devrait être renouvelé tous les 5 ans pour mieux prendre en compte les réalités de toutes les parties prenantes, n’a pas été mis à jour depuis 2007. Ce plan fournit des informations sur le sanctuaire en fonction des usages, des priorités, des menaces, etc., non seulement il est obsolète, mais il se base également en partie sur les données du parc national voisin de Kom, car il n’existe pas suffisamment de données sur le sanctuaire lui-même. De plus, la délimitation des limites du sanctuaire n’a pas été effective dans tous les villages riverains, et actuellement les limites qui avaient été matérialisées ne sont plus visibles.</p>



<p>Il est donc nécessaire d'élaborer un nouveau plan de gestion pour le sanctuaire. Ce plan devrait :</p>



<ul>
<li>Prendre en compte l’augmentation de la population et proposer des moyens efficaces pour le développement d’activités alternatives génératrices de revenus pour les communautés locales</li>



<li>Mettre l’accent sur la promotion de l’écotourisme en développant des infrastructures à cet effet</li>



<li>Impliquer les communautés locales dans la gestion participative du sanctuaire</li>



<li>Fournir des données actualisées sur la biodiversité (espèces de faune et de flore présentes et leurs densités, etc.)</li>



<li>Mettre l’accent sur la gestion transfrontalière du sanctuaire</li>
</ul>



<p>Les forêts du SGM et la précieuse biodiversité qui en dépend peuvent encore être protégées si le sanctuaire met en œuvre un plan et gère le sanctuaire sur la base de données récentes et précises. Les données collectées par ASD à l’aide des outils du GFW constituent une partie importante de cette démarche et peuvent nous aider à préserver le sanctuaire à gorilles de Mengamé pour les années à venir.</p>



<p></p>



<p><em>Apprenez-en davantage sur ASD : <a href="https://www.asd.contact/" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">Visitez leur site Web</a> et suivez-les sur <a href="https://www.facebook.com/ASDCameroun" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">Facebook</a>, <a href="https://twitter.com/asdcameroun" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">Twitter/X</a> et <a href="https://www.linkedin.com/company/action-for-sustainable-development-asd/" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">LinkedIn</a>.</em></p>



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Les données aident à protéger les forêts menacées et la biodiversité dans le sanctuaire à gorilles de Mengamé au Cameroun

Action for Sustainable Development is using GFW tools to respond to increasing deforestation in Cameroon's Mengamé Gorilla Sanctuary.

Data is Helping Protect Cameroon’s Mengamé Gorilla Sanctuary

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<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>



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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 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>

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

https://secure.gravatar.com/avatar/3dc298e411f65b199fc3734919d6934e?s=96&d=mm&r=g

Sarah Ruiz

commodities

commodities | Global Forest Watch Blog

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>



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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>



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<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>