HACKING DEFORESTATIONNear real-time tropical forest

monitoring

@robinkraftCenter for Global Development World Resources Institute

Preview

Visualizing

monthlypan-tropical

deforestation data

Space, time & deforestation

Forest policy requires info on both

BUT

Focus is usually on spatial detail

Sub-annual data is really useful

Identify successful forest policies

Correct failing policies

Enforce forest regulations

Understand influence of exchange rates

Measure effect of commodity price swings

Identify risk of future clearing

Sub-annual data is really useful

where: 35+ countries*when: 2006-Aug. 2011 monthlyresolution: 1km**

Forest Monitoring for ActionFORMA

work in progress: 70+ countries, 500m resolution, every 16 days* coverage is humid tropical forests ** uses MODIS satellite imagery

Forest cover in 2000

Tree loss by 2005

Riau, Indonesia

Let’s have a look

300km

Forest cover in 2000

Tree loss by 2005

Strength of signal

High

Moderate

Tree loss as of August 2011

Protected area

NEAR REALTIME MEANS ...

Protected area

How’s it work?Come talk to me - only 2 minutes left!

OSS & the cloudMachine learning +

Satellite data

Make datainteresting

simpleuseful

accessible

WHAT DO WE DO NOW?

That’s really hard!

BUT

Otherwise people won’t use it

Seeing change over time is cool/horrifying

But it’s the most effective visualization we’ve found

#ECOHACKNYCCHALLENGE

Render tree loss over time ...with Javascript and HTML5

3 easy steps

1. Encode 75 dates in single image

2. Load into CartoDB(?)

3. Vizzuality’s VisualRaster HTML5 magic renders image

Scrubbing through time redraws raster on the fly

4. Make it look nice, work well, etc.

If we finish early:

mashups!

Deforestation in tiger habitats?Carbon stocks impact?

Encroaching on protected areas?

Did you bring data? Let’s talk.

Forest Monitoring for ActionComing soon to a forest near you

It’s new data - help make it useful!

@robinkraft