Afghanistan

Akrotiri and Dhekelia

Åland

Albania

Algeria

American Samoa

Andorra

Angola

Anguilla

Antarctica

Antigua and Barbuda

Argentina

Armenia

Aruba

Australia

Austria

Azerbaijan

Bahamas

Bahrain

Bangladesh

Barbados

Belarus

Belgium

Belize

Benin

Bermuda

Bhutan

Bolivia

Bonaire, Saint Eustatius and Saba

Bosnia and Herzegovina

Botswana

Bouvet Island

Brazil

British Indian Ocean Territory

British Virgin Islands

Brunei

Bulgaria

Burkina Faso

Burundi

Cambodia

Cameroon

Canada

Cape Verde

Cayman Islands

Central African Republic

Chad

Chile

China

Christmas Island

Clipperton Island

Cocos Islands

Colombia

Comoros

Cook Islands

Costa Rica

Côte d'Ivoire

Croatia

Cuba

Curaçao

Cyprus

Czech Republic

Democratic Republic of the Congo

Denmark

Djibouti

Dominica

Dominican Republic

East Timor

Ecuador

Egypt

El Salvador

Equatorial Guinea

Eritrea

Estonia

Ethiopia

Falkland Islands

Faroe Islands

Fiji

Finland

France

French Guiana

French Polynesia

French Southern Territories

Gabon

Gambia

Georgia

Germany

Ghana

Gibraltar

Greece

Greenland

Grenada

Guadeloupe

Guam

Guatemala

Guernsey

Guinea

Guinea-Bissau

Guyana

Haiti

Heard Island and McDonald Islands

The indigenous territories of Caribbean Nicaragua boasted some of the largest intact forests in Central America, but illegal cattle ranching has devastated huge expanses, creeping in from the west and occupying what looks to ranchers like unoccupied forest land. Furthermore, the 278-kilometer Nicaraguan Interoceanic Canal is scheduled to pass directly through corridors for iconic and threatened species like the jaguar and Baird’s tapir. This has significantly diminished habitat for wildlife and threatens the food security and cultural survival of the Rama and Kriol indigenous peoples who hold legal, communal tenure to the land in the Indio-Maiz Reserve.

In response to these pressing concerns, NGO <a href="https://www.globalwildlife.org" target="_blank">Global Wildlife Conservation</a> worked with GFW and the Rama and Kriol communities to establish a new indigenous forest ranger program. Indigenous forest rangers and a data manager use Global Forest Watch forest cover loss and fires data, which helps them to define the rangers’ patrol routes by identifying areas under the greatest immediate threat and document illegal deforestation by navigating to alerts. This is the first time remotely sensed data has been used in this region for this purpose, and rangers were successful in getting local level authorities to remove illegal colonists from the reserve. (Photos from Global Wildlife Conservation.)

Global Wildlife Conservation trained indigenous forest rangers to plan patrol routes using GFW data and present evidence to local authorities, which resulted in eviction of perpetrators of illegal deforestation.

Global Wildlife Conservation

The <a href="http://www.spda.org.pe" target="_blank">Sociedad Peruana de Derecho Ambiental</a> (SPDA) created a deforestation alert prototype for privately protected areas in the Amazonas region of northwestern Peru. Managers of privately protected areas are often in need of modern monitoring and alerting systems to combat illegal logging and fires on their land. However, the lack of access to information results in their inability to address these threats. SPDA paired GFW data with regional shape files and contact data. They worked closely with SERFOR, the main government authority responsible for assembling conservation concessions data. As there were many inaccuracies and mistakes in the shape files provided by SERFOR, SPDA conducted a thorough analysis and managed to reconcile the discrepancies between different data sources, enabling SERFOR to provide updated cleaned data and shape files. (Photos from SPDA.)

Sociedad Peruana de Derecho Ambiental developed an early warning alert system, based on GFW data, for managers of private protected areas in the Amazonas region of Peru.

Sociedad Peruana de Derecho Ambiental (SPDA)

<a href="https://ampaperu.info/">Amazonicos por la Amazonia</a> (AMPA) implemented a control and surveillance system within the conservation initiatives included in the Voluntary and Communal Conservation Network of San Martin region using Global Forest Watch data and tools. AMPA built the capacity of the Network to use GFW deforestation and fire alerts along with field data to monitor encroachment on private protected areas. This resulted in a database of verified deforestation alerts which members of the network used to submit evidence-based complaints to authorities. AMPA found that integrating this technology into their monitoring system reduced costs, made monitoring safer and more efficient, and motivated youth to participate.  (Photos from AMPA.)

Amazon Conservation Association collaborated with decision-makers in the Andean Amazon to establish a near real-time deforestation monitoring system.

Amazon Conservation Association (ACA)

<a href="https://blueventures.org" target="_blank">Blue Ventures</a> worked to improve community management of mangrove forests in coastal Madagascar by modeling the rate and scope of deforestation and helping to establish legally-recognized community rights to mangrove forests. The data Blue Ventures collected and validated shows where communities have the right to manage their mangroves. This data was presented to government officials, helping them to understand the rapid rate of mangrove deforestation in the region. This resulted in political support for community-led mangrove management and assistance to the community boards that are charged with monitoring and enforcing their management plans. (Map from Blue Ventures shows community rights to manage mangroves; Photo from Blue Ventures.)

Blue Ventures strengthened community-based mangrove management in Madagascar.

Blue Ventures

The Friends of Siberian Forests convened forest advocates from Krasnoyarsk, Irkutsk, Buryat and Zabaikalsk territories in Siberia to create a network of “Forest Watchers” through technology trainings. Together, they began developing a strategy for how to use the GFW platform in their work, with a focus on monitoring pulp and paper mills. (Photos from Friends of Siberian Forests.)

Friends of Siberian Forests created a network of “Forest Watchers” in Eastern Siberia to monitor local forest issues.

Friends of Siberian Forests

<a href="http://www.geres.eu/en" target="_blank">Group for Environment, Renewable Energy, and Solidarity</a> (GERES) partnered with a local NGO, Mlup Baitong, to estimate the relative impact of charcoal production on deforestation in the Northern Cardamom Mountains. GERES’ approach involved a participatory methodology, combining GFW data with surveys and community workshops.

They concluded that the impact of charcoal production on forests is strongly connected with larger landscape changes over time, and cannot be isolated from the impact of agriculture and other drivers of forest degradation or deforestation. They also found that charcoal producers are part of a complex system of international and national actors that drive land use decisions. GERES used their findings to create a report that is relevant to current policy discussions in Cambodia. (Photos from GERES.)

GERES analyzed the impacts of charcoal production on the forests of Cambodia’s cardamom mountains.

Group for Environment, Renewable Energy, and Solidarity (GERES)

<a href="http://icc.org.gt/en/icc" target="_blank">Private Institute for Climate Change Research</a> (ICC) convened a variety of government, academic, civil society and private sector stakeholders to examine the ways that GFW is useful for forest management in Guatemala, with a focus on comparing national forest cover data to the GFW data.

Through a series of workshops and training, ICC discovered significant differences between the national government data and GFW data, due in large part to differences in how forest cover was defined as well as differences in mapping methodologies. However, GFW proved to be very useful for monitoring forest cover within forest concessions and protected areas. The national-level focus of the project allowed ICC to work at a larger scale than they had in the past. (Map from ICC shows differences between GFW data and national government data; Photo from ICC.)

Private Institute for Climate Change Research (ICC) convened a multistakeholder initiative to evaluate the application of GFW in Guatemala.

Private Institute for Climate Change Research (ICC)

<a href="https://www.icv.org.br/" target="_blank">Instituto Centro de Vida</a> (ICV) aimed to provide strategic information on the extent and cost of illegal logging in Mato Grosso. Their study found that over 50 percent of all logging in the Mato Grosso State between August 2011 and July 2012 was conducted without authorization from the State Secretariat for the Mato Grosso Environment (Sema/Mato Grosso).

After a training workshop on GFW, the Timber Union in Mato Grosso created a monitoring taskforce to keep better track of illegal logging. In addition, the national environmental agency also began to map illegality in forest operations. (Photo from ICV; Map from ICV shows logging in the Mato Grosso State.)

Instituto Centro de Vida (ICV) mapped logging activity in Mato Grosso, Brazil, and produced an analysis of illegal deforestation for government officials.

Instituto Centro de Vida (ICV)

Maya Leaders Alliance (MLA), in collaboration with the <a href="http://www.jcsbelize.org/pages/home.php" target="_blank">Julian Cho Society</a>, trained 69 leaders from 39 villages on the use of Global Forest Watch and other digital mapping technologies for forest monitoring. In collaboration with local communities, MLA created several maps depicting community land boundaries and developed a template agreement recognizing these boundaries, which was signed between two neighboring communities, with the goal of minimizing conflict.

This resulted in an increased local interest in using new technologies for forest management, and a shift in attitude towards greater community understanding as to how secure land tenure supports sustainable forest management, poverty alleviation and community well-being. MLA believes that they will be able to use these maps and technologies to influence government positions and policies supporting land tenure security and sustainable forest management. (Map from MLA shows community land boundaries; Photo from MLA.)

The Maya Leaders Alliance supported indigenous leaders in Southern Belize to map community land boundaries and use digital technology for forest monitoring.

Maya Leaders Alliance (MLA)

<a href="http://www.rincong.org" target="_blank">Perkumpulan Rincong</a>'s goal was to enable forest-dependent communities around the Ulu Masen Forest in Aceh, Indonesia to establish sustainable management of their customary forest using GFW as a tool for understanding, protecting and promoting their natural resources. The project involved training indigenous forest rangers on how to target their patrols with GFW data and creating a forest management plan. In one community, Perkumpulan Rincong was able to start the process of community land use zoning, helping community members to identify the areas for protection, such as primary forest and selected areas of secondary forest, as well as areas appropriate for shifting agriculture. (Photos from Perkumpulan Rincong.)

Perkumpulan Rincong enabled six forest communities in Aceh, Indonesia to manage their customary forest with GFW.

Perkumpulan Rincong

The <a href="http://pilfcolombo.blogspot.com/" target="_blank">Public Interest Law Foundation</a> (PILF) worked closely with relevant national level government agencies and civil society groups to use GFW to identify potential hotspots for deforestation, revealing in the process a lack of adequate law enforcement. PILF also published a series of stories related to forest destruction on the GFW website and in the traditional media.

Working with community groups, PILF began investigating complaints about illegal deforestation in preparation for possible litigation. Another important element of PILF’s project was raising awareness about the potential applications of GFW in Sri Lanka in order to improve forest management. Through a series of workshops, PILF trained journalists, NGOs and government officials on how to use the platform. (Map from PILF dispays Sri Lanka's forest cover; Photo from PILF.)

Public Interest Law Foundation (PILF) improved forest protection in Sri Lanka by using deforestation alerts to inform and improve the response time of local law enforcement.

Public Interest Law Foundation (PILF)

The Society of Indonesian Environmental Journalists (SIEJ) incorporated the functionalities of Global Forest Watch into a multimedia package on their website, <a href="https://www.ekuatorial.com/about" target="_blank">Ekuatorial.com</a>, to improve data acquisition and verification through journalistic practice. The journalists in SIEJ’s News Lab now better understand how GFW data layers relate to the areas they cover and how to use that information to tell more dynamic stories about Indonesian forests. (Photo from SIEJ.)

Society of Indonesian Environmental Journalists (SIEJ) created effective storytelling of environmental issues by producing media packages using Global Forest Watch data, interviews and imagery of six locations in Indonesia.

Society of Indonesian Environmental Journalists (SIEJ)

The <a href="http://www.awf.org" target="_blank">African Wildlife Foundation</a> (AWF), in concert with the Institut Congolais pour la Conservation de la Nature (ICCN – Congolese Wildlife Authority), used Global Forest Watch data to improve wildlife protection and monitoring in Bili Uele Protected Area Complex in the Democratic Republic of Congo. AWF identified an 11,000 km2 site within this protected area that currently has low forest cover loss and that supports a high level of biodiversity, including threatened species such as forest elephants, lions and the largest continuous population of endangered eastern chimpanzees. AWF used GFW to enhance threat-intensity and deforestation models to guide field patrols. Eco-guards also received training in the use of GFW and SMART/CyberTracker technology, and collected data to continuously improve the models and patrol routes. (Map from AWF shows information about the Bili Uele Protected Area Complex in the DRC; Photo from AWF.)

The African Wildlife Foundation trained eco-guards in using Global Forest Watch to protect a large swath of the Bili Uele Protected Area in the Democratic Republic of Congo.

African Wildlife Foundation (AWF)

The dry tropical forests of South America's Gran Chaco region are threatened by the rapid expansion of cattle ranching and soybean farming, resulting in over 200,000 hectares of forest loss per year. <a href="http://www.guyra.org.py/index.php?lang=en" target="_blank">Asociación Guyra Paraguay</a> used GFW data to complement regional satellite data, resulting in the creation of a new dataset that shows forest loss due to land use change in this unique habitat, which is now available on the GFW platform. Additionally, Guyra produced a report and executive summary for public dissemination to raise awareness of the alarming land use change rates, and held trainings for hundreds of environmental educators and scientists. (Photos from Asociación Guyra Paraguay.)

Asociacion Guyra Paraguay mapped forest loss from land use change in the Grand Chaco region to identify deforestation drivers and encourage government action to respond.

Asociación Guyra Paraguay

The <a href="http://bmf.ch/en" target="_blank">Bruno Manser Fonds</a> used drone mapping to accurately and independently document forest change using Global Forest Watch's FORMA alerts and NASA Active Fire alerts in the Malaysian state of Sarawak on the island of Borneo. This region is a biodiversity hotspot with rainforests that provide habitat for unique flora and fauna, also serving as an important resource for indigenous peoples. However, oil palm plantations have replaced most of the primary forests in Sarawak, and their expansion continues. The high-resolution photography resulting from the drone mapping was used as evidence to combat illegal deforestation and hold the responsible parties accountable. (Photos from Bruno Manser Fonds.)

Bruno Manser Fonds used drones to ground truth alerts on indigenous lands in Borneo and documented illegal deforestation to provide evidence for litigation.

Bruno Manser Fonds

Oregon’s state lands and privately owned lands are relatively unregulated, with large-scale clearcutting of forests, old-growth logging, and other ecologically unfriendly practices becoming more prevalent due to recent legislature influenced by logging interests.

The <a href="http://sustainable-economy.org" target="_blank">Center for Sustainable Economy</a> is using evidence from GFW tree cover loss analysis to influence policy for the protection of drinking water and wildlife habitat, and to promote the benefits of forests in mitigating climate change. They also built the capacity of citizen forest monitors to use GFW as a surveillance tool to enforce existing laws, advocate for reforms and hold timber companies accountable to consumers and investors. Their efforts have resulted in coverage by local media, including <a href="http://www.oregonlive.com/environment/index.ssf/2015/09/oregon_lost_500000_acres_of_fo.html" target="_blank">this article</a> in The Oregonian. (Photos from Center for Sustainable Economy.)

Center for Sustainable Economy trained citizens in Oregon to use GFW to help enforce existing forest laws and influence policy.

Center for Sustainable Economy

Community Commons developed <a href="http://globalforestlink.com" target="_blank">Global Forest Link</a>, an online learning environment - based on the GFW platform - that aims to increase education and training in new technology for forest monitoring and enhance cross-cultural communication about local environmental issues. High school students in Russia and the USA used Global Forest Watch to gain a better understanding of the drivers of forest loss and the use of monitoring technology, sharing information about local land use and forest change with their international peers. This included imagery interpretation using crowdsourcing techniques, educating students in remote sensing and using the GFW platform for environmental analysis, and enhancing dialogue about environmental issues. User stories submitted by students are available on the GFW map in both San Diego, USA and around Lake Baikal, Russia. (Image from Community Commons.)

Community Commons established an online forest education platform based on GFW data and created a learning exchange between high school students in Russia and the United States.

Community Commons

Oil palm, rubber, and more recently, large-scale plantations for jathropha, banana, cocoa and rice plantations have converted over one hundred thousand hectares of forests and community farmlands in Nigeria. Companies from Europe, the Americas and Asia investing in large-scale plantation projects are increasingly influencing national and state level governments to facilitate concessions at the expense of people’s rights to land and food. People have little or no access to information until all laws and procedures are approved and projects are ready to be implemented.

<a href="http://erafoen.org" target="_blank">Environmental Rights Action /Friends of the Earth Nigeria</a> (ERAFOEN) worked to empower rural local communities in Edo state, South-South Nigeria to advocate against land grabbing and deforestation for large-scale plantations by using GFW to map, monitor and communicate incidences of land grabbing and deforestation. The resulting campaign, a joint petition by ERA/FoE and the communities to the Edo State Government, and meetings with local government officials led to a successful revocation of about 13,750 hectares of land that had been grabbed by a plantation company. (Photos from ERAFOEN.)

Environmental Rights Action/Friends of the Earth- Nigeria helped communities to map three forest reserves in Nigeria using GFW data, which resulted in the revocation of land grabbed by palm oil companies.

Environmental Rights Action/Friends of the Earth- Nigeria (ERAFOEN)

<a href="http://www.fundeps.org" target="_blank">FUNDEPS</a> (Fundación para el Desarrollo de Políticas Sostenibles) used GFW data to strengthen the implementation of national and local laws to protect native forests in Argentina, improve government capacity to detect illegal deforestation, connect media with deforestation information, and litigate against governmental agencies in charge of forest protection laws in Cordoba. Specifically, FUNDEPS used GFW data to strengthen reports for the Forest Provincial Commission (of which it is a member), bolster public information requests to governmental agencies and increase media coverage of deforestation. (Photos from FUNDEPS.)

FUNDEPS identified areas of high deforestation in Argentina and effectively saved over 13,000 hectares of forest that were illegally authorized to be deforested.

Fundación para el Desarrollo de Políticas Sostenibles (FUNDEPS)

<a href="http://www.araguaia.org/cantao/Instituto.html" target="_blank">Instituto Araguaia</a>'s goal is to reduce deforestation in the lowland Cerrado buffer zone of Brazil's Araguaia National Park and Cantao State Park by using timely satellite data to monitor forest loss. The lowland Cerrado is a biologically diverse zone that serves as a refuge to terrestrial fauna during the annual flooding of the national and state parks. However, the area is undergoing intense - and often illegal - deforestation by industrial soybean companies. Instituto Araguaia used GFW and other high-resolution satellite data to map and quantify the loss in the Cerrado region from 2013-2015. They verified their findings by ground-truthing the data, then disseminated the results to partner NGOs and environmental agencies, which resulted in the legal creation of a new buffer zone along the park's boundary. (Photos from Instituto Araguaia.)

Instituto Araguaia established a legally recognized conservation buffer zone between two state parks in Brazil’s Cerrado region by using Global Forest Watch knowledge and data.

Instituto Araguaia

<a href="https://natureandculture.org/places/ecuador/foragua-water-fund" target="_blank">Regional Water Fund (FORAGUA)</a> trained municipal technicians, fire fighters, educators and journalists with Global Forest Watch's tools to enable them to understand the threats to Southern Ecuador’s watersheds. Armed with Global Forest Watch data, these key actors improved the quality of their watershed monitoring, education and capacity to advocate for the issues affecting the region’s watersheds. FORAGUA also produced conservation reports and alert notifications for 22 municipal reserves and two other regional conservation areas, covering an area of nearly 200,000 hectares. By building capacity of journalists, government officials and future leaders, they ensured that the local beneficiaries of Ecuador’s watersheds would take environmental protection into their own hands for years to come. (Photos from FORAGUA.)

Regional Water Fund FORAGUA trained local authorities, journalists and educators on using Global Forest Watch to monitor threats to Ecuadoran watersheds.

Regional Water Fund FORAGUA

<a href="http://reporterbrasil.org.br" target="_blank">Reporter Brasil</a> revealed the real costs of hydroelectric power plants in the Amazon by writing a series of investigative articles based on GFW data. Brazil is currently building dozens of large-scale hydroelectric plants in the Amazon, most notably the Jirau and Santo Antonio dams in Rondonia and the Belo Monte, Teles Pires and Sao Manoel dams in Para. Such development has been closely linked to deforestation and indigenous land rights violations. Reporter Brasil produced and distributed in-depth journalism pieces including gripping web documentaries, animations, articles and photographs. Several of the articles have been translated and redistributed internationally, and one of the pieces reached over three million people on social media. See <a href="http://amazonwatch.org/news/2016/0127-belo-monte-burning-legal-timber-stokes-the-fires-of-brazils-illegal-lumber-market" target="_blank">link</a> for more. The resulting public pressure ultimately resulted in the Brazilian government opening an investigation and fining Belo Monte contractors US$300,000. (Photos from Reporter Brasil.)

Reporter Brasil used Global Forest Watch data and graphics to investigate and report on the impact of hydroelectric dam development in the Brazilian Amazon.

Reporter Brasil

Building off of a 1986 land use and biodiversity study of the Panshet Dam, <a href="http://www.globalforestwatch.org/stories/189
" target="_blank">The Ecological Society</a> re-assessed local land-use and evaluated the ecological status of the Panshet Dam catchment in order to create a restoration template for conservation programs in North-Western Ghats. The resulting study, which used satellite images, rainfall data and ground-truthing, found that, when compared to the 1986 results, only a few patches of land continue to support “endemic and special biodiversity.” This unveiled an urgent need to protect these remaining patches. Using the data they collected, The Ecological Society developed a template for forest restoration in North-Western Ghats and created a <a href="https://youtu.be/gbohysTDS6k" target="_blank">video</a> to explain their findings. (Image from The Ecological Society shows the video they created for their project around restoration in North-Western Ghats.)

The Ecological Society used forest loss alerts around dam catchments to improve biological restoration programs.

The Ecological Society

<a href="http://www.transparentworld.ru/en" target="_blank">Transparent World</a> collected, compiled and provided access to spatial data about High Conservation Value Forests (HCVF) in Russia. These HCVF data sets, which include spatial information on intact forest landscapes, important bird areas, national/provincial protected areas and more, is highly sought after by forest businesses and conservation NGOs for voluntary forest certification purposes. Transparent World created a national, interactive, map-based web portal complemented by GFW data to better inform key stakeholders about high conservation value forests. (Photos from Transparent World.)

Transparent World compiled data about high conservation value forests in Russia and made it publicly available to promote informed decision-making in the forest sector.

Transparent World

The <a href="http://wri.or.id/en" target="_blank">Women Research Institute</a> used GFW to empower women in civil society organizations to conduct evidence-based advocacy to promote greater transparency in forest concessions. WRI will focus on fires and core plasma as primary advocacy issues, and they will use the main GFW site, as well as GFW Fires, to train woman on the current state of palm oil concessions and the impact of fires in their area. Specifically, WRI trained women in two districts to influence decision making at the district and provincial level. They created a training module that can be used elsewhere to spur involvement of women in conservation advocacy. Finally, a multi-stakeholder forum between the government, women CSOs and women was held to foster collaboration. (Photos from the Women Research Institute.)

Women Research Institute provided GFW data and advocacy training to women’s groups in Riau, Indonesia to empower them to influence how agribusinesses operate near their villages.

Women Research Institute (WRI)

<a href="https://www.africanconservation.org" target="_blank">African Conservation Foundation</a> used Global Forest Watch to guide the establishment of a community-managed forest in the Tofala-Mone East Corridor in Cameroon. They convened learning exchanges to help community members better understand how to monitor and manage the forest around them by using data on deforestation, biodiversity and concessions. They also recorded local knowledge about these forests from elders to prevent this information from being lost. Global Forest Watch maps and a 3D printed map helped guide forest surveys and create a common visual language for the corridor’s communities about the state of their forests, and how best to manage them. The project led to the creation of a community-managed protected area that is crucial for wildlife such as chimpanzees and elephants, and will “genetically connect” 200 gorillas in the region. (Photos from African Conservation Foundation.)

African Conservation Foundation used GFW data with participatory 3D mapping processes to guide the establishment of a community-managed forest in Cameroon.

African Conservation Foundation

Abigail is a graduate of Kwame Nkrumah University of Science and Technology. Her eight years of professional experience span projects on biodiversity conservation, climate change mitigation and adaptation, improving rural economies, gender-mainstreaming and behavioral change advocacy. Her Tech Fellowship project will further equip her to support <a href="https://www.iucn.org/sites/dev/files/content/documents/upscaling_community_resource_management_-_ghana.pdf" target="_blank" rel="noopener">Community Resource Management Area</a> (CREMA) communities in the Western Region of Ghana to improve their forest monitoring and sustainable natural resource management efforts. (Photo from Abigail Frimpong)

Abigail will work with five community resource management areas (CREMAs) in the Western Region of Ghana to improve their forest monitoring efforts.

Abigail Frimpong

<a href="http://www.amazonteam.org" target="_blank">Amazon Conservation Team</a> has trained over 60 people in indigenous communities in Colombia and Suriname on using data collection tools and GFW data for forest monitoring. Forest Watcher was successfully piloted with the Kogi community, helping to identify a recently planted palm oil plantation and deforestation along the boundary of the Kogi Indigenous Reserve. Global Forest Watch forest loss data has also been integrated into several key territorial maps produced by the Kogi. In the Putumayo department of Colombia, use of GFW data and maps helped support the creation of a special reserve administered by a local women’s indigenous association that is protecting traditional medicine in what is also an important bird migration site and an important source of water for the community.

ACT also developed Forest Watcher training materials that include screen capture videos with audio in local languages (Sranan Tongo, the lingua franca of Suriname and Spanish in Colombia) demonstrating how to use the applications. (Photos from ACT.)

Amazon Conservation Team trained indigenous community members on the Forest Watcher mobile app and other data collection tools to effectively monitor forest threats.

Amazon Conservation Team (ACT)

<a href="http://www.ambienteysociedad.org.co/en" target="_blank">Asociacion Ambiente y Sociedad</a> integrated Global Forest Watch data into an <a href="http://alertastempranas.net" target="_blank">early warning system platform</a>, based on GFW’s MapBuilder template, to highlight conservation priority areas near mega-infrastructure projects in Colombia. By combining Global Forest Watch data layers with map layers on dam and mine construction, community members could track forest loss related to these projects in near real-time and enable timely intervention to protect conservation priority areas. Additionally, the data improved local stakeholders’ ability to advocate to prevent lasting damage from these infrastructure projects. (Photos from Asociacion Ambiente y Sociedad.)

Asociacion Ambiente y Sociedad built an online platform that alerts community members to the impacts of mega-infrastructure projects in Colombia.

Asociacion Ambiente y Sociedad 

<a href="http://www.globalschoolnet.org" target="_blank">Global SchoolNet Foundation</a> developed a global learning program, based on GFW tools and data, that enabled students to learn about the connections between forests and topics like climate change and urban planning. In collaboration with Creative Commons, Global SchoolNet expanded the use of Global Forest Link, an online platform, by middle and high school students across the US, Russia, Ecuador, Taiwan and Nigeria. Online modules and field site visits with forest experts taught students to not only understand the science of forests, but also to connect forest health to quality of life. Students also developed storytelling skills so they could communicate about the data they collected and observed in a compelling way to student participants in other countries. This social and collaborative learning aspect of the program was a key reason for its success, and will ensure that the knowledge gained by its participants will endure beyond the classroom. (Image from Global SchoolNet Foundation.)

Global SchoolNet Foundation incorporated GFW into a global forest learning program for middle and high school students.

Global SchoolNet Foundation

<a href="http://www.nature.org.vn/en" target="_blank">PanNature</a> integrated Global Forest Watch data to improve the effectiveness of a Payment for Ecosystem Services (PES) system in Vietnam. Alerts and biodiversity data were used to measure forest threats and produce Monitoring and Evaluation indicators for the PES system, which were used by local government and forest and hydropower managers. The Global Forest Watch data created a more precise evaluation of threats to the forest and quality of ecosystem services, and as a result, this improves the accuracy of compensation stakeholders receive. The indicators were made publicly available so that the system can be easily replicated elsewhere. (Photo from PanNature.)

People and Nature Reconciliation (PanNature) developed indicators and a monitoring system for a Payment for Ecosystem Services program in Vietnam, based on Global Forest Watch data.

People and Nature Reconciliation (PanNature) 

<a href="http://www.pronatura.org.mx" target="_blank">Pronatura</a> incorporated Global Forest Watch alerts and biodiversity data into an online platform that mapped forest conditions in the Yucatán peninsula. Data on land use and vegetation helped paint a clear picture of the area's forests for institutions such as local government, research organizations and civil society organizations to analyze. These local stakeholders learned about the Global Forest Watch data in workshops convened by ProNatura, increasing their capacity and motivation to respond to deforestation issues and implement sustainable practices. The platform will help policymakers monitor and fulfill commitments to global initiatives such as REDD+ and the Bonn Challenge. (Photo from Pronatura.)

Pronatura incorporated GFW data into an online mapping platform for decision-makers in Mexico’s Yucatán peninsula.

Pronatura

<a href="http://www.monotocon.org/index.php?lang=en" target="_blank">Proyecto Mono Tocón</a> trained communities on using Global Forest Watch alerts to dispatch drones and position acoustic sensors to investigate forest threats in San Martín, Peru. These efforts helped to protect a conservation area crucial for the endangered San Martín Titi monkey by enabling community forest monitors to report on threats in near real-time to local authorities. Deforestation alerts, drone surveillance and acoustic data did more than just stop immediate threats; they also helped researchers gain an understanding of the drivers of deforestation to prevent future threats to the San Martín Titi monkey habitat. (Photos from Proyecto Mono Tocón.)

Proyecto Mono Tocón trained communities on using GFW alerts to dispatch drones and position acoustic sensors to investigate forest threats in Peru.

Proyecto Mono Tocón

<a href="http://www.satiim.org.bz" target="_blank">Sarstoon Temash Institute for Indigenous Management</a> (SATIIM) used GFW deforestation alerts to inform and guide regular community forest patrols on the border between Belize and Guatemala. GFW data and maps, coupled with data collected during the patrols, enabled Mestizo, Mayan and Garifuna communities to better understand the scope of the threats to their forests and more effectively advocate to protect their land rights. These efforts also served to strengthen the partnership between isolated communities across this national border, and campaign as a block against the perception by some that the Maya are responsible for deforestation. (Photos from SATIIM.)

Sarstoon Temash Institute for Indigenous Management used GFW alerts to guide community forest patrols on the border between Belize and Guatemala.