Working at a global scale: challenges for a worldwide tropical forest monitoring system

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Working at a global scale challenges for a
worldwide tropical forest monitoring system

• Gilberto Câmara
• General Director
• National Institute for Space Research
• Brazil

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A scientific question linked to public policy
How are Earths tropical forests changing, and
what are the consequences for human civilization?
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Global Change
Where are changes taking place? How much change
is happening? Who is being impacted by the
change?
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Despite solid improvements by scientists in
monitoring deforestation, the uncertainties are
still substantial. (Science, 27 April 2007)
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What are the challenges?

• Images covering all of the worlds 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

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EO data benefits to everyone
Images monitoring the planet in a consistent
manner
CBERS-2 image of Manaus
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Images show trajectories of land
changes Rondonia, Brazil
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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

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On-line databases help understanding BR-163
areas greater than 100 ha (2004)
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Altamira (Pará) LANDSAT Image 22 August 2003
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Altamira (Pará) MODIS Image 07 May 2004
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Imagem Modis de 2004-05-21, com excesso de nuvens

Altamira (Pará) MODIS Image 21 May 2004
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Altamira (Pará) MODIS Image 07 June 2004
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Altamira (Pará) MODIS Image 22 June 2004
6.000 hectares deforested in one month!
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Altamira (Pará) LANDSAT Image 07 July 2004
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Go to the field....
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...and get the bad guys!
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NASAs 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.
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Land Remote Sensing 20 to 50 meter resolution
commercial
public
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August 2007
Indias 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)
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LANDSAT Ground Station Network
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CBERS data where it is most needed
CBERS ground stations will cover most of the
Earths land mass between 300N and 300S
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The Group on Earth Observations, GEO, is leading
a worldwide effort to build a Global Earth
Observation System of Systems, GEOSS.
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We have the knowledge We have the technology We
have the institutions Do we have the will?
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• One world, one dream...

Free Earth Observation data for all!
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A Potential Land Surface Imaging Constellation
TERRA (ASTER MODIS)
IRS
LANDSAT
RESOURCESAT
ALOS
SAC-C
SPOT
CBERS
Source Daniel Vidal-Madjar (France)
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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
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TerraAmazon open source software for
deforestation monitoring
116-112
116-113
166-112
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TerraAmazon open source software for
deforestation monitoring
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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

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Total Deforestation up to 1997
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Increment 2000 a 2006
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photo source Edson Sano (EMBRAPA)
Large-Scale Agriculture
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photo source Edson Sano (EMBRAPA)
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Field knowledge is fundamental!
Rondônia (Vale do Anari)
People changing the landscape
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Deforestation classes per area
Aumento
Estável
Redução
Tendência de Redução
Aproxim. Estável
Tendência de Aumento
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Deforested areas with more than 300ha em 2003
protected areas
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Dynamic areas (current and future)
New Frontiers
INPE 2003/2004
Intense Pressure
Deforestation
Forest
Future expansion
Non-forest
Clouds/no data
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Trends in deforestation and meat prices
Source Paulo Barreto (IMAZON)
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Trends in deforestation and soya prices
Source Paulo Barreto (IMAZON)
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Next steps

• Bali conference Brazil will anounce a Centre for
  Global Tropical Forest Monitoring
• Open to collaborations world wide
• Emphasis on South-South cooperation