MAAP Synthesis #3: Deforestation in the Andean Amazon (Trends, Hotspots, Drivers)
MAAP, an initiative of the organization Amazon Conservation, uses cutting-edge satellite technology to monitor deforestation in near real-time in the megadiverse Andean Amazon (Peru, Colombia, Ecuador, and Bolivia). The monitoring is based on 5 satellite systems: Landsat (NASA/USGS), Sentinel (European…
MAAP #95: Oil Palm Baseline for the Peruvian Amazon
In previous reports, we have documented that oil palm is one of the deforestation drivers in the Peruvian Amazon (MAAP #41, #48). However, the full extent of this sector’s deforestation impact is not well known. A newly published study assessed…
MAAP #94: Detecting Logging in the Peruvian Amazon with High Resolution Imagery
In MAAP # 85, we showed how medium and high-resolution satellites (such as Landsat, Planet and Sentinel-1) could be used to monitor the construction of logging roads in near-real time. Here, we show the potential of very high-resolution satellites (such…
MAAP #93: Shrinking Primary Forests of the Peruvian Amazon
The primary forests of the Peruvian Amazon, the second largest stretch of the Amazon after Brazil, are steadily shrinking due to deforestation. Here, we analyze both historic and current data to identify the patterns. The good news: As the Base…
MAAP #92: New Deforestation Threats in the Peruvian Amazon (Part 2: Agriculture Expansion)
In this ongoing series, we describe major new projects that may lead to the rapid deforestation of large areas of primary Amazon forest. The first report (MAAP #84) described the deforestation associated with the construction of the Yurimaguas – Jeberos…
MAAP #91: Introducing PeruSAT-1, Peru’s new High-resolution Satellite
In September 2016, Peru’s first satellite, PeruSAT-1, launched. It is Latin America’s most powerful Earth observation satellite, capturing images at a resolution of 0.70 meters. The cutting-edge satellite was constructed by Airbus (France) and is now operated by the Peruvian…
MAAP #90: Using Drones to monitor Deforestation and Illegal Logging
For the past three years, the organization Amazon Conservation has been working to establish a sustainable, local-based drones program for environmental monitoring in the southern Peruvian Amazon (Madre de Dios region). This program is based on two types of drones,…
MAAP #89: Impacts of Mining Project “Mirador” in the Ecuadorian Amazon
MAAP #89: Impacts of Mining Project “Mirador” in the Ecuadorian Amazon https://maaproject.org/mirador-ecuador/ The Ecuadorian Amazon is experiencing a growing number of conflicts directly related to oil and mining extraction projects. Here, we focus on the “Mirador” mining project, an open…
MAAP #88: Deforestation Hotspots in the Ecuadorian Amazon
MAAP #88: Deforestation Hotspots in the Ecuadorian Amazon https://maaproject.org/ecuador-hotspots/ Here, we highlight deforestation hotspots, the areas with the highest deforestation densities, in the mega-diverse Ecuadorian Amazon. We then zoom in and focus on a dynamic area in the north that…
MAAP #87: Gold Mining deforestation continues in the Peruvian Amazon
We have reported extensively on the ongoing gold mining deforestation crisis in the southern Peruvian Amazon (see Archive), estimating the loss of over 17,500 acres in the five years between 2013 and 2017. Here, we present new analysis showing that…