Working at a global
scale: challenges for a worldwide tropical
forest monitoring system
Gilberto Câmara General Director
National Institute for Space Research
Brazil
How are Earth’s tropical forests changing, and what are the consequences for human civilization?
A scientific question linked to
public policy
Global Change
Where are changes taking place?
How much change is happening?
Who is being impacted by the change?
“Despite solid improvements by scientists in monitoring
deforestation, the uncertainties are still substantial”.
(Science, 27 April 2007)
What are the challenges?
Images – covering all of the world’s tropical forests
Methodology – using remote sensing algorithms to extract information
Software – reproducible methodology
Capacity building – training large teams worldwide
Field analysis – understanding local forces
Socio-economic analysis – understanding globalization forces
EO data: benefits to everyone Images: monitoring the planet in a consistent manner
CBERS-2 image of Manaus
Images show trajectories of
land changes Rondonia, Brazil
1975 1986
1992
Monitoring Amazon Deforestation
Near real-time detection of newly deforested areas (DETER)
Uses MODIS data (250 m resolution, 2 days revisit)
Maps produced weekly
Supports law-enforcement
Detailed assessment of deforestation (PRODES)
Uses LANDSAT (30 m resolution, 18 days revisit) and CBERS (20 m resolution, 25 days revisit)
Other satellite data is used when needed
Detailed maps produced yearly
Supports policy-making
On-line databases help understanding
BR-163: areas greater than 100 ha (2004)
Altamira (Pará) – LANDSAT Image – 22 August 2003
Altamira (Pará) – MODIS Image – 07 May 2004
Imagem Modis de 2004-05-21, com excesso de nuvens
Altamira (Pará) – MODIS Image – 21 May 2004
Altamira (Pará) – MODIS Image – 07 June 2004
6.000 hectares deforested in one month!
Altamira (Pará) – MODIS Image – 22 June 2004
Altamira (Pará) – LANDSAT Image – 07 July 2004
Go to the field....
...and get the bad guys!
NASA’s mission formerly began with “To understand and protect our home planet…”. Those words have now been replaced with “Pioneering the future…”. The aim of better exploring the moon and Mars has attractions, but we
agree with the sentiment “The planet that has to matter most to us is the one we live on.”
2003 2004 2005 2006 2007 2008 2009 2010 LANDSAT-5 1984
LANDSAT-8 2012
SPOT-4 1998 SPOT-5 2002 CBERS-2 2003
CBERS-2B 2007 CBERS-3 2009
IRS-P6 2003 IRS-P6/2 2008
Land Remote Sensing: 20 to 50 meter resolution
public commercial
India’s ResourceSat and the China-Brazil Earth Resources
Satellite (CBERS) might be good sources of useful data to
substitute for the loss of Landsat data during this period (pg. 37)
August 2007
USGS/EROS Data Center EOS Polar Ground Network
International Cooperators (Landsat 5 & Landsat 7) IC (Landsat 7 only) LTAP+ Station (University of Puerto Rico) IC (Landsat 5 only) (Ar Riyad, Saudi Arabia)
Campaign Station (Ulaanbaatar, Mongolia)
LANDSAT Ground Station Network
CBERS: data where it is most needed
CBERS ground stations will cover most of the Earth’s land mass between 300N and 300S
The Group on Earth Observations, GEO, is leading a worldwide effort to build a Global Earth Observation System of
Systems, GEOSS.
We have the knowledge…
We have the technology…
We have the institutions…
Do we have the will?
One world, one dream...
Free Earth Observation data for all!
TERRA (ASTER & MODIS) LANDSAT
SPOT ALOS RESOURCESAT
IRS
CBERS
A Potential Land Surface Imaging Constellation
SAC-C
Source: Daniel Vidal-Madjar (France)
Number of Cloud Free Landsat 7 Data
79,223 Scenes with 30% or less cloud cover 12,785 unique, daytime path/row combinations (6/29/99 - 3/31/02)
source: USGS
166-112 116-113
116-112
TerraAmazon – open source software for deforestation monitoring
TerraAmazon – open source software for deforestation monitoring
The elements of a capacity building strategy
“Qualified specialists produce relevant results by using good-quality data with adequate tools in stable institutions”
Capacity building = people + data + infrastructure
Até 10%
10 - 20%
20 – 30%
30 – 40%
40 – 50%
50 – 60%
60 – 70%
70 – 80%
80 – 90%
90 – 100%
Total Deforestation up to 1997
Increment – 2000 a 2006
Até 5 % 5 - 10%
10 – 15%
15 – 20%
20 – 24%
24 – 29%
29 – 34%
34 – 39%
39 – 43%
43 – 49%
Large-Scale Agriculture
Agricultural Areas (ha)
1970 1995/1996 %
Legal Amazonia 5,375,165 32,932,15
8 513
Brazil 33,038,02
7 99,485,58
0 203
Source: IBGE - Agrarian Census
photo source: Edson Sano (EMBRAPA)
Cattle in Amazonia and Brazil
Unidade 1992 2001 %
Amazônia Legal 29,915,799 51,689,061 72,78%
Brasil 154,229,303 176,388,726 14,36%
photo source: Edson Sano (EMBRAPA)
Rondônia (Vale do Anari)
People changing the landscape
Field knowledge is fundamental!
Deforestation classes per area
13%
22%
27%
32%
31%
68%
38%
More than 300 ha
10%
11%
11%
12%
14%
6%
12%
150 a 300 ha
7%
7%
7%
7%
8%
3%
8%
100 a 150 ha
16%
14%
13%
12%
13%
6%
12%
50 a 100 ha
19%
16%
13%
11%
11%
5%
11%
25 a 50 ha
25%
20%
16%
14%
12%
6%
11%
10 a 25 ha
10%
9%
9%
8%
6%
4%
5%
Less than 10 ha
2006 2005
2004 2003
2002 2001
2000
Tendência de Aumento Aproxim. Estável Tendência de Redução
AumentoReduçãoEstável
Deforested areas with more than 300ha em
2003
+ protected areas
New Frontiers
Deforestation Forest
Non-forest Clouds/no data INPE 2003/2004:
Dynamic areas (current and future)
Intense Pressure Future expansion
Trends in deforestation and meat prices
Source: Paulo Barreto (IMAZON)
Trends in deforestation and soya prices
Source: Paulo Barreto (IMAZON)
Next steps
Bali conference: Brazil will anounce a Centre for Global Tropical Forest Monitoring
Open to collaborations world wide
Emphasis on South-South cooperation
