2. HACKING
DEFORESTATION
Near real-time tropical forest
monitoring
@robinkraft
Center for Global Development World Resources Institute

3. Preview
Visualizing
monthly
pan-tropical
deforestation data

4. Space, time & deforestation
Forest policy requires info on both
BUT
Focus is usually on spatial detail

5. Sub-annual data is really useful
Identify successful forest policies
Correct failing policies
Enforce forest regulations

6. Sub-annual data is really useful
Understand influence of exchange rates
Measure effect of commodity price swings
Identify risk of future clearing

7. FORMA
Forest Monitoring for Action
where: 35+ countries*
when: 2006-Aug. 2011 monthly
resolution: 1km**
work in progress: 70+ countries, 500m resolution, every 16 days
* coverage is humid tropical forests ** uses MODIS satellite imagery

8. Riau, Indonesia
Let’s have a look
300km
Forest cover in 2000
Tree loss by 2005

9. Tree loss as of August 2011
Strength of signal
Moderate
High
Forest cover in 2000
Tree loss by 2005
Protected area

10. NEAR REALTIME MEANS ...
Protected area

11. How’s it work?
Come talk to me - only 2 minutes left!
Satellite data
Machine learning + OSS & the cloud

12. WHAT DO WE DO NOW?
Make data
interesting
simple
useful
accessible

13. That’s really hard!
BUT
Otherwise people won’t use it

14. Seeing change over time is cool/horrifying
But it’s the most effective visualization we’ve found

15. #ECOHACKNYC
CHALLENGE
Render tree loss over time ...
with Javascript and HTML5
3 easy steps

16. 1. Encode 75 dates in single image

17. 2. Load into CartoDB(?)

18. 3. Vizzuality’s VisualRaster
HTML5 magic renders image
Scrubbing through time redraws
raster on the fly

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

20. If we finish early:
mashups!
Deforestation in tiger habitats?
Carbon stocks impact?
Encroaching on protected areas?
Did you bring data? Let’s talk.

21. Forest Monitoring for Action
Coming soon to a forest near you
It’s new data - help make it useful!
@robinkraft