Global Deforestation
This section is intended to collect data on the current status of global deforestation. This is accomplished through the utilization of APIs, databases, news sources, MapBuilders, and academic journals.
Global forest loss map
Credits: University of Maryland, department of geographical sciences.
Results from time-series analysis of Landsat images characterizing forest extent and change.
Trees are defined as vegetation taller than 5m in height and are expressed as a percentage per output grid cell as ‘2000 Percent Tree Cover’. ‘Forest Cover Loss’ is defined as a stand-replacement disturbance, or a change from a forest to non-forest state, during the period 2000–2019. ‘Forest Cover Gain’ is defined as the inverse of loss, or a non-forest to forest change entirely within the period 2000–2012. ‘Forest Loss Year’ is a disaggregation of total ‘Forest Loss’ to annual time scales.
Reference 2000 and 2019 imagery are median observations from a set of quality assessment-passed growing season observations.
News List
New research finds major gaps between EU anti-deforestation rules and realities on the ground in Brazil
The U.K. could face significant challenges if it follows the European Union's lead and introduces tougher restrictions on imports linked to deforestation, according to new research from The University of Manchester. The study examines how the EU's la... [4258 chars]
Rare Camera Trap Sightings Reveal Secrets of Amazon's Elusive 'Ghost Dogs'
Researchers have shared fresh details about the mysterious short-eared dog of the Amazon rainforest, which is so elusive that it earned the nickname "ghost dog". For decades, it was more rumour than animal. Scientists had only a handful of museum spe... [2233 chars]
'Everything has its own order and purpose': The rainforest 'farms' defying modern agriculture
This unique indigenous way to produce food uses no pesticides and returns plots to the rainforest after five years. What can we learn from this 4,500-year-old practice?
To the untrained eye, the area of the rainforest that Kelly Johanna Yucuna tends ... [10740 chars]
Ever National Law Requiring Beef to Be Traced Back to Its Origins
Colombia this month enacted a landmark law designed to stop deforestation connected to cattle ranching, a move that environmental groups say could provide a model for the wider Amazon region, where livestock production is a leading driver of tree los... [4697 chars]
Swiss parliament to debate details of Mercosur free trade deal
What kind of democracy should Switzerland promote?
Read more: What kind of democracy should Switzerland promote?
Swiss public backs development aid even as politicians cut budgets
Read more: Swiss public backs development aid even as politicians cut ... [2657 chars]
Urban growth costs Gurugram 15 hectares of natural forest
Even as Gurugram witnessed rapid urban expansion over the past decade, it lost 15 hectares of its already limited natural forest cover, according to the latest data released by Global Forest Watch (GFW).
The district is among several in Haryana that ... [2317 chars]
What Colombia’s crackdown on illegal cattle ranching means for deforestation and beef exports
A new law in Colombia requires cattle ranchers to track livestock and document that their beef supply chains are free from deforestation, a measure environmental groups say makes it the first tropical forest country to adopt such a nationwide framewo... [5334 chars]
Thane Faces Ecological Crisis As Rapid Urbanisation Drives Green Cover Loss & Urban Heat Island Threat
Thane: A severe ecological imbalance is gripping the city of Thane, with rapid infrastructure development pushing the region to the brink of an environmental crisis. According to data from the 2022 tree census, Thane recorded approximately 7.22 lakh ... [1882 chars]
Amazonian Monkeys Are Contracting Human Hepatitis B And Deforestation Is Making The Situation Worse
Globalization has significantly contributed to the spread and emergence of new diseases, especially those caused by viruses. The AIDS epidemic, SARS, and COVID-19 are key examples of this, having their origins in animal species before mutating and sp... [3996 chars]
Trump turned environmentalist to slap new tariffs on Brazil, so why are deforestation rates down?
In May, Amazon deforestation was 61.4% lower than in the same month in 2025, according to officials from the National Institute for Space Research, or INPE, and the Ministry of Environment.
Still, 370 square kilometers (nearly 143 square miles) of th... [3233 chars]
News API sources: NewsCatcher & GNews