Global Forest Watch Blog

Stay atop the latest forest research and news! The Global Forest Watch blog uses data to illuminate the state of forests worldwide and tells the stories of people dedicated to protecting them. Read about rainforests, deforestation, fires, sustainable agriculture, forest management and other topics critical to the future of forests.

0 to 2 Million in Under 5 Years: GFW Celebrates a Growing Usership

Global Forest Watch (GFW) has recently passed a major milestone: its 2 millionth user! In just four and a half years, 2 million people have come to this collection of maps, graphs and data. That means 2 million people planning patrols in protected areas, searching for information on tree cover loss, or monitoring the forests […]

GLAD Alerts Now Available for Entire Pantropical Region

Stretching 30 degrees north and south from the equator and encircling the globe, the band of tropical forests —both wet and dry — boasts more biodiversity and species endemism than almost any other place on earth. Yet these forests suffer under threat of deforestation as logging, agriculture, grazing and development take a toll on their […]

Technical Blog: Indonesia Tree Cover Loss and National Deforestation Data Explained

According to data from the University of Maryland (UMD), available on Global Forest Watch, tropical tree cover loss in 2017 was the second worst on record. Contrary to the global trend, both the UMD data and the official deforestation data provided by the Ministry of Environment and Forestry (MoEF) show that Indonesia actually experienced a […]

Latest articles

How Scientists Used Lasers, Satellites and Planes to Map One of Indonesia’s Biggest Sources of Emissions

Twenty years ago, Dr. Florian Siegert, a German-trained biologist, was conducting ecology research in Borneo when a series of fires blazed across Indonesia. The Asian Forest Fires of 1997-1998 burned thousands of miles of rainforest, creating a haze and air quality disaster that caused $5-6 billion in economic losses and endangered the long-term health of […]

Places to Watch: 3 Forests Experiencing Rapid Clearing Right Now

Places to Watch is an initiative that uses weekly GLAD alerts on Global Forest Watch to spot changes in forests around the globe and identify the most consequential cases of recent deforestation. By pairing deforestation alerts with expert interpretation of satellite imagery, credible descriptions of what is happening on the ground and resources to learn more, […]

PARTNER POST: Sur Verde Adaptive Monitoring: Mitigation and Adaptation in Calakmul, Campeche

The Reforestamos Mexico GFW Contest recently recognized Sur Verde’s innovative use of the Global Forest Watch platform in finding solutions to socioenvironmental issues. Learn more about the contests here. The United Nations’ Sustainable Development Goal 15 provides a framework towards efforts to sustainably manage forests, combat desertification, halt and reverse land degradation and halt […]

PARTNER POST: The Importance of Open Data for Conservation in Mexico City

The Reforestamos Mexico GFW Contest recently recognized PAOT’s innovative use of the Global Forest Watch platform as a first-place winner in the “public policy analysis” category. Learn more about the contest here. Mexico’s capital, Mexico City, is one of the largest and most populous areas in the Western Hemisphere, spanning almost 150,000 hectares and is […]

PARTNER POST: Reforestamos Mexico Inspires Public Participation in Forest Monitoring

The partnership for Mexico’s forests As part of our mission to increase the availability of forests for sustainable development, our team at Reforestamos Mexico has been collaborating with Global Forest Watch (GFW) and Mexico’s National Forestry Commission (CONAFOR) to promote forest monitoring and information transparency among decisionmakers and citizens throughout Mexico. Over the last three […]

When a Tree Falls, Is It Deforestation?

The narrative is not a new one: The world is losing tree cover at an alarming rate, and the effects on biodiversity, the climate and indigenous communities cannot be overstated. The question is, why? What’s causing this loss? And will tree cover come back, or will the land be used for a new purpose? Our new […]