Blog Posts: maps

Places to Watch is a data-driven storytelling initiative that pairs deforestation alerts with satellite imagery, intel on what is happening on the ground, and resources to learn more.

One Map at the local level is hence a process to facilitate conflict transformation that goes beyond registering complaints and seeking agreement, but rather changing stakeholders’ relationship pattern in a structural manner. In this scheme, we need an inclusive and credible multi-stakeholder forum that can place all key stakeholders in a symmetrical position.

Tropical regions face an emissions challenge from an important, but relatively little-known source: drained peatland. Peat soil, made up of partially decomposed, wet plant material that forms over thousands of years, is highly concentrated in Indonesia and Malaysia. Peatland in these countries has become a common target for agricultural expansion, particularly for oil palm, as fertile land becomes increasingly scarce. When land is cleared for plantations, the underlying peat needs to be drained, releasing CO₂ into the atmosphere.

Today, WRI unveiled the Paris Agreement Tracker. The interactive tool enables people to monitor countries’ progress toward ratifying the Paris Agreement, and allows users to create, share and embed their own combinations for bringing it into force.

Try it out for yourself.

Why do we let history repeat itself? Less than six months ago, fires raged in Indonesia, blanketing the region in toxic smoke and releasing more greenhouse gas emissions than Germany produces in a year. Eventually the fires subsided, the air cleared, and the world stopped talking about this crisis. But it will happen again. These fires, caused by unsustainable forest management and agricultural practices, are a devastating and costly cycle that we have been repeating for decades.

Anda juga dapat membaca tulisan ini dalam bahasa Indonesia di sini.

Peat forests, or wetlands, are some of the most important ecosystems for Indonesia and climate change. The country holds the largest tropical peatland in the world, which acts as a major carbon sink. At the same time, carbon emissions from peat decomposition and peat fires account for 42 percent of Indonesia’s total emissions, and spikes in peat fires in 2015 pushed the country to move from world’s sixth-largest to the fourth-largest emitter.

The land and forest fires burning across Indonesia spiked to historic highs this month, causing a thick haze of toxic smoke that enveloped cities across Indonesia and neighboring countries. Officials across the region have pledged to investigate the perpetrators of these fires and hold those responsible accountable.

Global Forest Watch (GFW) uses data to monitor changes to the Earth’s forests. What can other climate initiatives gain from the project?

In a post originally published for The Guardian, the GFW team discusses public data challenges and lessons learned.

A new initiative from WRI and the Roundtable on Sustainable Palm Oil (RSPO) aims to shed light on how oil palm concessions affect forests.

Global Forest Watch Commodities (GFW-Commodities) combines the RSPO’s maps of certified sustainable palm oil production sites with global forest data—information that can empower companies to manage their forests and supply chains more sustainably.

With Global Forest Watch, everyone from business executives to policymakers to indigenous groups can find out what’s happening in forests around the world—and use this information to take action. Now that we have the ability to peer into forests around the globe, a number of telling stories are beginning to emerge.

Learn more about how you can make your own map, here.