WHAT IS Global Forest Watch (GFW)???
Its an online platform that provides data and tools for monitoring forests.
By harnessing cutting-edge technology, GFW allows anyone to access near real-time information about where and how forests are changing around the world.
WHO CARRY OUT GFW INITIATIVE ????
GFW is an initiative of the World Resource Institute (WRI), with partners including Google, USAID etc.
Started in 1997
# APPLICATIONS OF GFW
1. The forest change data have been used to measure global deforestation rates,
2. Used to detect and monitor illegal clearing activity (The NASA Active Fires data, displayed within GFW Fires, have been used to identify illegal burning that has caused the 2015 South Asian Gaze crisis )
3. Call out unsustainable activities, defend the land and resources, sustainably source commodities,
4. Conduct research at the forefront of conservation.
GFW INDIA – some fearful data
In 2010, India had 27.9Mha of tree cover, extending over 8.9% of its land area.
In 2017, it lost 190kha of forest, equivalent to 21.2Mt of CO₂ of emissions.
From 2001 to 2017, India lost 1.54Mha of tree cover, equivalent to a 4.0%decrease since 2000 and 172Mt of CO₂ emissions
In India, the top 6 regions (Nagaland, Tripura, mizoram, Manipur, Mekhalaya, Assam) were responsible for 62% of all tree cover loss between 2001 and 2017.
Nagaland had the most relative tree cover loss at 14% compared to an average of 3.1%.