What it is
Global Forest Watch is a free interactive platform combining satellite imagery, GLAD deforestation alerts, and user-contributed data to monitor forests worldwide. It provides weekly tropical updates at 30x30m resolution with alert subscriptions, data downloads, and concession overlays. Users can track deforestation in real time, analyze historical forest cover change, and identify hotspots of forest loss or gain.
Why we picked this
Forests store roughly 45% of terrestrial carbon, making deforestation monitoring essential for climate strategy. Global Forest Watch makes this monitoring accessible to anyone, not just governments and NGOs. The platform has been used to expose illegal logging, verify corporate no-deforestation commitments, and track reforestation progress. Over 4 million people have used it.
Key takeaways
- Agroforestry conversion of degraded lands could assimilate 26.6 Gt CO2e by 2050, and Global Forest Watch tracks where this conversion is most needed and most feasible.
- Costa Rica's tracked reforestation from 21% to 57% forest cover demonstrates what is possible when Payment for Ecosystem Services (PES) programs deploy at scale.
- Alert subscriptions notify users of deforestation events within days, enabling rapid response by enforcement agencies and NGOs.