What Is Global Forest Watch And How Do You Use It?

Have you ever checked out Global Forest Watch (GFW)? It’s an open-access online platform that’s full of applications and tools that allow you to keep up with the world’s forests. GFW utilizes cutting-edge technology which enables you to monitor our forests and see how they’re faring in the face of many challenges. Since its 2014 launch, over 1.5 million people from around the world have accessed Global Forest Watch, and GFW has earned awards from a number of global organizations.

WHO USES GFW, AND WHAT’S IT FOR?

It’s open for anyone to access, but some of the groups who use Global Forest Watch regularly include governments, researchers, indigenous communities, and media outlets. GFW exists to bring awareness to forest conservation efforts, to help improve the health of our forests, and ultimately to help improve the quality of life for all of Earth’s inhabitants.

WHAT KIND OF INFORMATION IS AVAILABLE ON GFW?

1. Basic data about forests around the world
2. Deeper forest insights
3. Forest statistics by country
4. Tropical deforestation updates
5. Forest fire monitoring
6. Global forest impacts on climate
7. And more!

EXAMPLES OF INSIGHTS YOU CAN GAIN

1. Pinpoint tree coverage data for a particular area over time. For example, if you were to focus on the United States from 2010 to 2017, you’d learn that the U.S. lost 1.05% of its overall tree coverage during that 7-year time frame.
2. Explore forest change data for any other designated area or time period, including tree coverage gain or loss, deforestation, fire alerts, and more.
3. Compare the amount of tree coverage in different regions.
4. Track human impacts on the land in designated regions, including infrastructure builds, mining activities, palm oil mills, and more.
5. Focus on climate change data focused around carbon emissions, gains, and density values, particularly as it relates to the world’s forests.
6. Examine the biodiversity effects of forest change, including impacts on forest-dwelling species and endemic species. You can also monitor critical sites for the conservation of endangered species, and track the areas that carry the highest levels of human threat.

Ready to learn more about the state of Earth’s forests? Check out this informative infographic from Carport Direct, What is Global Forest Watch and How Do You Use It? And to access the GFW online suite of tools for yourself, you can simply head over to www.globalforestwatch.org.