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 road (see Base Map), which crosses extensive primary forest and a priority site for conservation in the Loreto […]
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 Space Agency, CONIDA. The organization Amazon Conservation was granted early access to the imagery to boost efforts related […]
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, multi-rotor (helicopter style) and fixed-wing (airplane style). One of the main objectives is to improve the […]
MAAP #89: Impacts of Mining Project “Mirador” in the Ecuadorian Amazon https://www.maapprogram.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 pit copper mine in the Cordillera del Cóndor, a mountain range along the Ecuador/Peru border that hosts a […]
MAAP #88: Deforestation Hotspots in the Ecuadorian Amazon https://www.maapprogram.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 is located between three important protected areas (Sumaco, Yasuní y Cuyabeno). We show a series of satellite images that indicate […]
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 the destruction continues in 2018: we estimate an additional 4,265 acres during the first six months […]
MAAP #86: Deforestation Hotspots in the Colombian Amazon, part 3: Chiribiquete-Macarena We present our third report* in a series investigating deforestation hotspots in the Colombian Amazon. Here, we focus on the “Chiribiquete-Macarena” hotspot, located between the Chiribiquete and La Macarena National Parks. The Colombian government is finalizing plans to expand the boundaries of Chiribiquete National Park, an important step for conservation. However, we […]
************************************************************************************************** Science Magazine: Combating deforestation: From satellite to intervention Full text Reprint (PDF): *Note: The article can only be viewed for free via this author page. ************************************************************************************************ A new policy article entitled “Combating deforestation: From satellite to intervention” was just published in Science, one of the leading journals in the world. The authors include members of […]
We propose a new tool to address illegal logging in the Peruvian Amazon: using cutting-edge satellites to monitor logging road construction in near real-time. Illegal logging in the Amazon is difficult to detect because it is selective logging of individual valuable trees, not large clear-cuts. However, a new generation of satellites can quickly detect new logging roads, […]
The efforts and international commitments of the Peruvian Government to reduce deforestation may be compromised by new projects do not have adequate environmental assessment. In this series, we address the most urgent of these projects, those that threaten large areas of primary Amazonian forest. We believe that these projects require urgent attention from both government […]
