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Geneviève Ndjiki, Action for Sustainable Development

Data is Helping Protect Threatened Forests and Biodiversity in Cameroon’s Mengamé Gorilla Sanctuary

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<p>Cameroon has very rich biological diversity, housed within several ecosystems that are representative of the ecosystems of Africa — the reason Cameroon is often described as “Africa in miniature.” The nation's biological diversity underpins its economy and has scientific and medicinal importance for Cameroon’s people.</p>



<p>In order to meet its commitments to protect the environment after the <a href="https://www.un.org/en/conferences/environment/rio1992" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">1992 United Nations Conference on Environment and Development</a>, and consequently its commitment to the Convention on Biological Diversity, objective 11 of Cameroon’s <a href="https://www.cbd.int/doc/world/cm/cm-nbsap-v2-en.pdf" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">National Biodiversity Strategy and Action Plan</a> calls for at least 30% of the national territory to be designated as protected areas, which aim to protect nature and biodiversity from human activities and pressures.</p>



<p>To this end, several protected areas (national parks, reserves, etc.) were established, including the Mengamé Gorilla Sanctuary. This sanctuary faces several threats including the loss of forest cover, which leads to fragmentation of the habitat found there.</p>



<p>Our organization, Action for Sustainable Development, works to respond to the increasing threat of deforestation in Mengamé. In 2023, we received a Global Forest Watch (GFW) Small Grants Fund (SGF) grant to help us monitor forests in the sanctuary. We found that forest loss over the last three years is increasing, and that a new management plan for the sanctuary based on better data is needed to protect the sanctuary’s forests and the biodiversity that depends on them.</p>



<h2 class="wp-block-heading"><strong>The Mengamé Gorilla Sanctuary</strong></h2>



<p>The Mengamé Gorilla Sanctuary (MGS) belongs to the Tri-national Dja-Odzala-Minkébé (TRIDOM) complex, a cross-border area encompassing 10% of the Congo Basin’s rainforests and 11 protected areas across Cameroon, Congo and Gabon. TRIDOM is a key area for the conservation of the biodiversity of the Congo Basin, including iconic large mammals such as elephants, chimpanzees and gorillas. The MGS is located in the equatorial forest zone in the southern part of Cameroon on the border with Gabon. It covers 26,780 hectares and straddles the districts of Mvangan in Mvila subdivision and Oveng district in Dja-et Lobo subdivision. The MGS is home to a diversity of wildlife including primates like the Western Lowland Gorilla, which is critically endangered due to human activities that have intensified over the years, such as deforestation leading to loss of habitat as well as poaching.</p>



<figure class="wp-block-image size-large"><img src="https://content.globalforestwatch.org/wp-content/uploads/2024/08/Mengame-2048x1448.png" alt="" class="wp-image-17782"/><figcaption class="wp-element-caption"><em>The area occupied by the MGS in the two districts (Mvangan and Oveng). Both these districts have several small villages surrounding the sanctuary.</em></figcaption></figure>



<h2 class="wp-block-heading"><strong>Satellite data reveals increasing loss of the sanctuary's forest cover</strong></h2>



<p>Action for Sustainable Development (ASD), a Cameroonian civil society organization, has been able to use the tools available from GFW to conduct satellite monitoring of forest cover change in protected areas. As part of our SGF project “Participatory monitoring of forest cover in and around the MGS,” we used GFW’s near-real-time integrated deforestation alerts to identify areas of forest loss, and supported park agents and others in the community to use GFW tools to investigate the alerts.</p>



<p>We analyzed alerts for two time periods over three years (2021-2023) and found that for the first period, from January 1, 2021 to July 20, 2022, more than 937 deforestation alerts were recorded totaling eight hectares of forest loss. The map below shows the distribution of these alerts in the two districts (896 alerts in the part of the sanctuary located in the Mvangan district and 41 alerts in the part of the sanctuary located in the Oveng district).</p>



<figure class="wp-block-image size-large"><img src="https://content.globalforestwatch.org/wp-content/uploads/2024/08/Mengame-final1-2048x1448.png" alt="" class="wp-image-17784"/><figcaption class="wp-element-caption"><em>Map showing deforestation alerts in the MGS between January 1, 2021 and July 20, 2022.</em></figcaption></figure>



<figure class="wp-block-image size-full"><img src="https://content.globalforestwatch.org/wp-content/uploads/2024/08/MGS-field-deployment-ASD.jpg" alt="" class="wp-image-17751"/><figcaption class="wp-element-caption"><em>Field deployment of a mixed team (ecoguards and community) to identify the causes of deforestation alerts. Credit: ASD</em></figcaption></figure>



<figure class="wp-block-image size-full"><img src="https://content.globalforestwatch.org/wp-content/uploads/2024/08/MGS-field-deployment-2-ASD.jpg" alt="" class="wp-image-17752"/><figcaption class="wp-element-caption"><em>Field deployment of a mixed team (ecoguards and ASD) to identify the causes of deforestation alerts. Credit: ASD</em></figcaption></figure>



<p>Likewise, for the second period between July 21, 2022 and December 31, 2023, more than 1,436 deforestation alerts were recorded, including 1,292 in the part of the sanctuary located in the Mvangan district and 144 in the part of the sanctuary located in the Oveng district. The total of these deforestation alerts represents a loss of 17 hectares of forest.</p>



<p>The Mengamé gorilla sanctuary has therefore already lost nearly 25 hectares of forest in just three years from 2021 to 2023. These findings indicate that, over time, anthropogenic activity is increasing in the sanctuary. Investigations carried out to determine the main causes of this loss of forest cover showed that this has been caused by the establishment or extension of agricultural plots (cocoa and banana plantations). This pressure is growing due to the increase in the price of cocoa on the international market — and cocoa is the main cash crop in this area. If nothing is done, the sanctuary will be severely depleted and degraded the next several years.</p>



<figure class="wp-block-image size-large"><img src="https://content.globalforestwatch.org/wp-content/uploads/2024/08/Mengame-final2-2048x1448.png" alt="" class="wp-image-17785"/><figcaption class="wp-element-caption"><em>Deforestation alerts in the Mengamé gorilla sanctuary between July 21, 2022 and December 31, 2023.</em></figcaption></figure>



<h2 class="wp-block-heading"><strong>To protect the sanctuary, a new management plan is needed</strong></h2>



<p>To understand the motivations or reasons that lead local communities to set up their cocoa plantations and others in the sanctuary, our team conducted a survey as part of our project.</p>



<p>Two major reasons were mentioned by local communities to justify their actions:</p>



<p>The first reason is the lack of collaboration between local communities and conservation services. Indeed, 38% of the population thinks that they are not involved in the management of the sanctuary. There is almost no conservation activity within the sanctuary or ecotourism, appearing to local communities to have been abandoned for several years. Thus, they thought that the sanctuary was no longer a priority for the State. Our project has since succeeded in bringing together local communities, the conservation service and civil society organizations as part of a more participatory monitoring of the sanctuary.</p>



<p>The second reason is the fact that the space dedicated to the communities' rural activities is becoming insufficient. 22% of local communities believe that the area dedicated to their activities is becoming insufficient given the rapid population growth. Yet despite these changes, the development and management plan for the sanctuary, which should be renewed every five years to better take into account the realities of all stakeholders, has not been updated since 2007. This plan provides information about the sanctuary based on uses, priorities, threats and more, but not only is it out of date, it is also based partially on data from the neighboring Kom National Park as there is insufficient data on the sanctuary itself. Furthermore, the demarcation of the boundaries of the sanctuary had not been effective in all the riverside villages, and currently the boundaries that had been demarcated are no longer visible.</p>



<p>Therefore, development of a new management plan for the sanctuary is needed. This plan should:</p>



<ul>
<li>Take into account the increase in population and suggest effective ways for the development of alternative income-generating activities for local communities</li>



<li>Place emphasis on promoting ecotourism by developing infrastructure for this purpose</li>



<li>Involve local communities in the participatory management of the sanctuary</li>



<li>Provide updated data on biodiversity (fauna and flora species present and their densities, etc.)</li>



<li>Place emphasis on transboundary management of the sanctuary</li>
</ul>



<p>The MGS’s forests and the valuable biodiversity that depends on them can still be protected if the sanctuary implements a plan and manages the sanctuary based on recent, accurate data. The data collected by ASD using GFW tools is an important part of this and can help us preserve Mengamé Gorilla Sanctuary for years to come.</p>



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<p><em>Learn more about ASD: Visit </em><a href="https://www.asd.contact/" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener"><em>their website</em></a><em> and follow them on </em><a href="https://www.facebook.com/ASDCameroun" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener"><em>Facebook</em></a><em>, </em><a href="https://twitter.com/asdcameroun" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener"><em>Twitter/X</em></a><em> and </em><a href="https://www.linkedin.com/company/action-for-sustainable-development-asd/" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener"><em>LinkedIn</em></a><em>.</em>&nbsp;</p>



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<p>Le Cameroun possède une diversité biologique très riche, hébergée dans plusieurs écosystèmes représentatifs des écosystèmes africains – raison pour laquelle le Cameroun est souvent décrit comme « l’Afrique en miniature ». La diversité biologique du pays soutient son économie et revêt une importance scientifique et médicinale pour la population camerounaise.</p>



<p>Afin de respecter ses engagements en matière de protection de l’environnement après la <a href="mailto:https://www.un.org/fr/conferences/environment/rio1992" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">Conférence des Nations Unies sur l’environnement et le développement en 1992</a>, et par conséquent son engagement envers la Convention sur la diversité biologique, l’objectif 11 de la <a href="https://www.cbd.int/doc/world/cm/cm-nbsap-v2-en.pdf" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">Stratégie nationale et du plan d’action pour la biodiversité</a> du Cameroun prévoit qu’au moins 30% du territoire national soient désignés comme aires protégées, destinées à protéger la nature et la biodiversité des activités et pressions humaines.</p>



<p>À cet effet, plusieurs aires protégées (parcs nationaux, réserves, etc.) ont été créées, parmi lesquels le Sanctuaire à gorilles de Mengamé. Ce sanctuaire fait face à plusieurs menaces dont la perte du couvert forestier, qui entraîne une fragmentation de l’habitat qui s’y trouve.</p>



<p>Notre organisation, Action for Sustainable Development, s’efforce de répondre à la menace croissante de déforestation à Mengamé. En 2023, nous avons reçu une subvention du Fonds de petites subventions (SGF) de Global Forest Watch (GFW) pour nous aider à surveiller les forêts du sanctuaire. Nous avons constaté que la perte de forêt au cours des trois dernières années est en augmentation et qu’un nouveau plan de gestion du sanctuaire basé sur de meilleures données est nécessaire pour protéger les forêts du sanctuaire et la biodiversité qui en dépend.&nbsp;</p>



<h2 class="wp-block-heading"><strong>Le sanctuaire à gorilles de Mengamé </strong><strong></strong></h2>



<p>Le Sanctuaire à Gorilles de Mengamé (SGM) fait partie du complexe trinational Dja-Odzala-Minkébé (TRIDOM), une zone transfrontalière englobant 10 % des forêts tropicales du bassin du Congo et 11 aires protégées au Cameroun, au Congo et au Gabon. Le TRIDOM est une zone clé pour la conservation de la biodiversité du bassin du Congo, notamment des grands mammifères emblématiques tels que les éléphants, les chimpanzés et les gorilles. Le SGM est situé dans la zone de forêt équatoriale dans la partie Sud du Cameroun à la frontière avec le Gabon. Il couvre 26 780 ha et chevauche les districts de Mvangan dans l'arrondissement de la Mvila et le district d'Oveng dans l'arrondissement du Dja-et Lobo. Le SGM abrite une faune diversifiée, notamment des primates comme le gorille des plaines de l'Ouest, qui est en danger critique d'extinction en raison des activités humaines qui se sont intensifiées au fil des ans, telles que la déforestation entraînant la perte de l’habitat, ainsi que le braconnage.</p>



<figure class="wp-block-image size-large"><img src="https://content.globalforestwatch.org/wp-content/uploads/2024/08/Mengame-2048x1448.png" alt="" class="wp-image-17782"/><figcaption class="wp-element-caption"><em>La zone occupée par le SGM dans les deux districts (Mvangan et Oveng). Ces deux districts comptent plusieurs petits villages entourant le sanctuaire.</em></figcaption></figure>



<h2 class="wp-block-heading"><strong>Les données satellitaires révèlent une perte croissante du couvert forestier du sanctuaire</strong></h2>



<p>Action for Sustainable Development (ASD), une organisation de la société civile camerounaise, a pu utiliser les outils mis à disposition par GFW pour effectuer un suivi satellitaire de l’évolution du couvert forestier dans les aires protégées. Dans le cadre de notre projet SGF « Suivi participatif du couvert forestier dans et autour du SGM », nous avons utilisé les alertes de déforestation intégrées en temps quasi réel de GFW pour identifier les zones de perte de forêt, et avons aidé les écogardes du parc et d’autres membres de la communauté à utiliser les outils du GFW pour enquêter sur les alertes.</p>



<p>Nous avons analysé les alertes sur deux périodes pendant trois ans (2021-2023) et constaté que pour la première période, du 1er janvier 2021 au 20 juillet 2022, plus de 937 alertes de déforestation ont été enregistrées totalisant huit hectares de perte du couvert forestier. La carte ci-dessous montre la répartition de ces alertes dans les deux districts (896 alertes dans la partie du sanctuaire située dans le district de Mvangan et 41 alertes dans la partie du sanctuaire située dans le district d'Oveng).</p>



<figure class="wp-block-image size-large"><img src="https://content.globalforestwatch.org/wp-content/uploads/2024/08/Mengame-final1-2048x1448.png" alt="" class="wp-image-17784"/><figcaption class="wp-element-caption"><em>Carte montrant les alertes de déforestation dans le SGM entre le 1er janvier 2021 et le 20 juillet 2022.</em></figcaption></figure>



<figure class="wp-block-image size-full"><img src="https://content.globalforestwatch.org/wp-content/uploads/2024/08/MGS-field-deployment-ASD.jpg" alt="" class="wp-image-17751"/><figcaption class="wp-element-caption"><em>Déploiement sur le terrain d'une équipe mixte (écogardes et communauté) pour identifier les causes des alertes de déforestation.</em></figcaption></figure>



<figure class="wp-block-image size-full"><img src="https://content.globalforestwatch.org/wp-content/uploads/2024/08/MGS-field-deployment-2-ASD.jpg" alt="" class="wp-image-17752"/><figcaption class="wp-element-caption"><em>Déploiement sur le terrain d'une équipe mixte (écogardes et ASD) pour identifier les causes des alertes de déforestation.</em></figcaption></figure>



<p>De même, pour la deuxième période entre le 21 juillet 2022 et le 31 décembre 2023, plus de 1 436 alertes de déforestation ont été enregistrées, dont 1 292 dans la partie du sanctuaire située dans le district de Mvangan et 144 dans la partie du sanctuaire située dans le district d’Oveng. Le total de ces alertes de déforestation représente une perte de 17 hectares de forêt.</p>



<p>Le sanctuaire à gorilles de Mengamé a donc déjà perdu près de 25 hectares de forêt en seulement trois ans, de 2021 à 2023. Ces résultats indiquent qu’au fil du temps, l’activité anthropique augmente dans le sanctuaire. Les investigations menées pour déterminer les principales causes de cette perte du couvert forestier ont montré que celle-ci est due à l’implantation ou à l’extension des parcelles agricoles (cacaoyères et bananeraies). Cette pression s’accroît en raison de l’augmentation du prix du cacao sur le marché international – et le cacao est la principale culture de rente dans cette zone. Si rien n’est fait, le sanctuaire sera gravement appauvri et dégradé dans les prochaines années.</p>



<figure class="wp-block-image size-large"><img src="https://content.globalforestwatch.org/wp-content/uploads/2024/08/Mengame-final2-2048x1448.png" alt="" class="wp-image-17785"/><figcaption class="wp-element-caption"><em>Alertes de déforestation dans le sanctuaire à gorilles de Mengamé entre le 21 juillet 2022 et le 31 décembre 2023.</em></figcaption></figure>



<h2 class="wp-block-heading"><strong>Pour protéger le sanctuaire, un nouveau plan d’aménagement est nécessaire</strong></h2>



<p>Pour comprendre les motivations ou les raisons qui poussent les communautés locales à installer leurs plantations de cacao et d'autres dans le sanctuaire, notre équipe a mené une enquête dans le cadre de notre projet.</p>



<p>Deux raisons majeures ont été évoquées par les communautés locales pour justifier leurs actions :</p>



<p>La première raison est le manque de collaboration entre les communautés locales et les services de la conservation. En effet, 38% de la population pense ne pas être impliquée dans la gestion du sanctuaire. Il n’y a quasiment aucune activité de conservation au sein du sanctuaire ni d’écotourisme, ce qui donne aux communautés locales l’impression d’être abandonnées depuis plusieurs années. Ainsi, elles pensaient que le sanctuaire n’était plus une priorité pour l’État. Notre projet a ainsi réussi à réunir les communautés locales, le service de la conservation et les organisations de la société civile dans le cadre d’un suivi plus participatif du sanctuaire.</p>



<p>La deuxième raison est le fait que l’espace dédié aux activités rurales des communautés devient insuffisant. 22 % des communautés locales estiment que la surface dédiée à leurs activités devient insuffisante compte tenu de la croissance rapide de la population. Pourtant, malgré ces changements, le plan d’aménagement et de gestion du sanctuaire, qui devrait être renouvelé tous les 5 ans pour mieux prendre en compte les réalités de toutes les parties prenantes, n’a pas été mis à jour depuis 2007. Ce plan fournit des informations sur le sanctuaire en fonction des usages, des priorités, des menaces, etc., non seulement il est obsolète, mais il se base également en partie sur les données du parc national voisin de Kom, car il n’existe pas suffisamment de données sur le sanctuaire lui-même. De plus, la délimitation des limites du sanctuaire n’a pas été effective dans tous les villages riverains, et actuellement les limites qui avaient été matérialisées ne sont plus visibles.</p>



<p>Il est donc nécessaire d'élaborer un nouveau plan de gestion pour le sanctuaire. Ce plan devrait :</p>



<ul>
<li>Prendre en compte l’augmentation de la population et proposer des moyens efficaces pour le développement d’activités alternatives génératrices de revenus pour les communautés locales</li>



<li>Mettre l’accent sur la promotion de l’écotourisme en développant des infrastructures à cet effet</li>



<li>Impliquer les communautés locales dans la gestion participative du sanctuaire</li>



<li>Fournir des données actualisées sur la biodiversité (espèces de faune et de flore présentes et leurs densités, etc.)</li>



<li>Mettre l’accent sur la gestion transfrontalière du sanctuaire</li>
</ul>



<p>Les forêts du SGM et la précieuse biodiversité qui en dépend peuvent encore être protégées si le sanctuaire met en œuvre un plan et gère le sanctuaire sur la base de données récentes et précises. Les données collectées par ASD à l’aide des outils du GFW constituent une partie importante de cette démarche et peuvent nous aider à préserver le sanctuaire à gorilles de Mengamé pour les années à venir.</p>



<p></p>



<p><em>Apprenez-en davantage sur ASD : <a href="https://www.asd.contact/" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">Visitez leur site Web</a> et suivez-les sur <a href="https://www.facebook.com/ASDCameroun" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">Facebook</a>, <a href="https://twitter.com/asdcameroun" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">Twitter/X</a> et <a href="https://www.linkedin.com/company/action-for-sustainable-development-asd/" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">LinkedIn</a>.</em></p>



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Les données aident à protéger les forêts menacées et la biodiversité dans le sanctuaire à gorilles de Mengamé au Cameroun

Action for Sustainable Development is using GFW tools to respond to increasing deforestation in Cameroon's Mengamé Gorilla Sanctuary.

Data is Helping Protect Cameroon’s Mengamé Gorilla Sanctuary

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Small grants fund | Global Forest Watch Blog

Saroj Shrestha

Sony Lama

<hr> 

<div class="attribute"> 

Saroj Shrestha and Sony Lama are wildlife conservationists affiliated with <a href="https://www.redpandanetwork.org/" target="_blank" rel="noopener noreferrer">Red Panda Network</a>, a conservation organization dedicated to conserving Red Pandas and their habitats throughout Nepal. Red Panda Network is a 2019 Small Grants Fund Recipient. 

</div> 

<hr>



<p>In the&nbsp;misty&nbsp;forests of the Eastern Himalayas, a creature with&nbsp;a fluffy red coat and long bushy tail&nbsp;climbs through the trees.&nbsp;It&nbsp;looks a bit like a cross between a bear and a cat.&nbsp;It&nbsp;has spent&nbsp;its whole day eating bamboo in the understory&nbsp;and is&nbsp;now&nbsp;on its way&nbsp;to the branches above to&nbsp;nap in the sun.&nbsp;</p>



<p>The red panda— whose&nbsp;scientific&nbsp;name,&nbsp;<em><a href="https://www.livescience.com/57312-red-pandas.html" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener" aria-label=" (opens in a new tab)">Ailurus&nbsp;fulgens</a></em>, means fire-coated cat— is a symbolic species of the&nbsp;Himalayan region.&nbsp;But&nbsp;this&nbsp;arboreal mammal&nbsp;has become endangered&nbsp;as development projects and agriculture fracture the&nbsp;forest habitat they need to survive.&nbsp;Red Panda Network&nbsp;(RPN), a conservation&nbsp;organization&nbsp;based in Nepal,&nbsp;is working in local communities&nbsp;near red&nbsp;panda&nbsp;habitats&nbsp;to&nbsp;enact&nbsp;research, education and sustainable&nbsp;development&nbsp;projects&nbsp;to protect&nbsp;red pandas and their forest homes.</p>



<h3 class="wp-block-heading">Conserving red pandas protects biodiversity in Himalayan forests</h3>



<p>The red panda is listed as an endangered species by the <a rel="noreferrer noopener" aria-label="IUCN (opens in a new tab)" href="https://www.iucnredlist.org/species/714/110023718" target="_blank">IUCN</a> and limited in range to temperate bamboo forests in South-Western China, Nepal, India, Bhutan and Myanmar. The total worldwide red panda population is estimated to be less than 10,000, with estimates in Nepal ranging from about 200 to 1,000 individuals. As bamboo forms more than <a rel="noreferrer noopener" href="https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC5636060/" target="_blank">83%</a>&nbsp;of red panda diets, the species is vulnerable to&nbsp;<a rel="noreferrer noopener" href="https://www.redpandanetwork.org/red-panda-facts/threats/" target="_blank">habitat loss</a>&nbsp;and&nbsp;fragmentation fueled by clearing for roads and other infrastructure, as well as forest fires and poaching.&nbsp;&nbsp;</p>



<p>Red pandas act as an indicator species for the health of Himalayan forests. Unable to survive in fragmented or degraded habitat, if red pandas are present you will find healthy bamboo forests and clean water. As a charismatic mammal, red pandas are an ideal flagship species for harnessing public support for conservation, acting as an “<a rel="noreferrer noopener" aria-label=" (opens in a new tab)" href="https://www.redpandanetwork.org/red-panda-facts/why-save-the-red-panda/" target="_blank">umbrella</a>” for the protection of other species within their habitat.&nbsp;In addition, red pandas are a genetically unique species. They are the only living member of their own taxonomic family, which means that losing red pandas would mean losing key genetic diversity in the region.&nbsp;</p>



<h3 class="wp-block-heading">Forest Guardians lead conservation work in their communities</h3>



<p>Shanti Shahi, the first female Forest Guardian for Western Nepal,&nbsp;marches through the dense forest of&nbsp;<a rel="noreferrer noopener" href="https://www.globalforestwatch.org/map/country/NPL/4/2?mainMap=eyJzaG93QW5hbHlzaXMiOnRydWUsInNob3dCYXNlbWFwcyI6ZmFsc2UsImhpZGVMZWdlbmQiOmZhbHNlfQ%3D%3D&map=eyJjZW50ZXIiOnsibGF0IjoyOS4yODM0OTkzMDY1MTc0NjMsImxuZyI6ODEuNjEzNDA3MDkyODU0Nzd9LCJiZWFyaW5nIjowLCJwaXRjaCI6MCwiem9vbSI6OS4xNzgzNDIzNjE0NTI0MTcsImNhbkJvdW5kIjpmYWxzZSwiYmJveCI6W10sImRyYXdpbmciOmZhbHNlfQ%3D%3D&menu=eyJtZW51U2VjdGlvbiI6IiIsImRhdGFzZXRDYXRlZ29yeSI6IiIsInNlYXJjaCI6IiJ9&treeLoss=eyJpbnRlcmFjdGlvbiI6e319&utm_source=GFWBlog&utm_medium=hyperlink&utm_campaign=GFW&utm_content=RedPandaNetwork_4_2020" target="_blank">Kalikot&nbsp;district</a> — the westernmost distribution limit of the red panda. She lives in a village only accessible by foot and with limited access to healthcare, education and other resources in hilly and mountainous regions. Despite her daily responsibilities helping her family and community, she also dedicates her time to patrolling the forest around her home and reporting on any loss or disturbance.&nbsp;&nbsp; </p>



<div class="imageright"><img decoding="async" class=" wp-image-3569 alignright" style="padding-bottom: 10px;" alt="red panda forest guardians" src="https://content.globalforestwatch.org/wp-content/uploads/2020/03/REGULAR-MONITORING_KALIKOT.jpg" width="100%">Forest Guardians are local residents that patrol red panda habitat, collecting data on panda populations and changes in the habitat. Photo courtesy of Saroj Shrestha/RPN. </div>



<p>RPN’s&nbsp;<a rel="noreferrer noopener" aria-label=" (opens in a new tab)" href="https://www.redpandanetwork.org/contribute/forest-guardians/" target="_blank">Forest Guardian</a> program pays local residents to monitor and protect red panda habitat. Many of the villages surrounding red panda habitat are similar to Shahi’s, so the income provided by this program is a much-needed resource to support families. Forest Guardians consider themselves “wildlife warriors”, acting as the eyes and ears of their communities and keeping watch for illegal activity within the forest.&nbsp; </p>



<p>This community-based approach is central to RPN’s conservation strategies. The organization’s forest assessment practices include regular field monitoring and anti-poaching patrolling conducted by Forest Guardians and members of Community Forest Users’ Groups, which are responsible for managing local forests. During forest monitoring and patrolling, they collect crucial red panda habitat and threat data, along with removing snares and traps. </p>



<h3 class="wp-block-heading">Near-real-time data accelerates Red Panda Network’s projects</h3>



<p>RPN is now&nbsp;interweaving&nbsp;new technologies into their monitoring work. As a&nbsp;Small Grants Fund recipient,&nbsp;the organization has begun&nbsp;using Global Forest Watch&nbsp;(GFW)&nbsp;data&nbsp;and tools&nbsp;to take the pulse of the forests.&nbsp;&nbsp;</p>



<p>Forest Guardians can now check the Forest Watcher mobile app for near-real-time deforestation alerts and navigate quickly to a detected clearing or fire alert. They can even outline a potential red panda habitat area on their phone and assess for different anthropogenic threats including illegal poaching and hunting. Information collected in the field can be analyzed and compiled into reports even when offline in the middle of the forest.&nbsp; </p>



<p>“Now more than ever, the advent of new technology has the potential to transform environmental protection,” says Laxman Singh, a Forest Guardian&nbsp;with RPN.&nbsp;</p>



<p>The reported data that Forest Guardians collect from the field are accumulated in the RPN database. This information is shared with conservation officers from the respective areas, Community Forest Users’ Group members and is sometimes distributed to press to raise awareness of forest issues. </p>



<div class="imageleft"><img decoding="async" class=" wp-image-3569 alignright" style="padding-bottom: 10px;" alt="red panda" src="https://content.globalforestwatch.org/wp-content/uploads/2020/03/30329437774_de577031ce_k.jpg" width="100%">Red Panda diets consist largely of bamboo. Photo by Mathias Appel/Flickr</div>



<h3 class="wp-block-heading">What’s on the horizon for Red Panda Network?</h3>



<p> RPN has begun to expand the use of GFW tools throughout the region. They recently conducted their first ever workshop on GFW’s forest monitoring and alert systems for community forest monitors, Forest Guardians and other community-based conservation officers. They’ve also signed a memorandum of understanding with several Community Forests in recognition of the roles of Community Forests Users’ Groups in restoration and sustainable forest management.  RPN hopes that as they train more community members, they can broaden the area of red panda habitat that is under protection, to keep these fluffy symbols of the Himalayan forests around for years to come. </p>



<hr> 

<div class="attribute" style="”padding-bottom:" 10px;”=""> 

BANNER PHOTO: Red pandas are the only living member of their taxonomic family. Photo by <a href="https://www.flickr.com/photos/8063139@N03/531541285" target="_blank" rel="noopener noreferrer">Aussie_Matt/Flickr</a>. 
</div> 

 

<hr>



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“Forest Guardians” in Nepal Employ Citizen Science to Protect Endangered Red Pandas

<hr> 

<div class="attribute"> 

Saroj Shrestha and Sony Lama are wildlife conservationists affiliated with <a href="https://www.redpandanetwork.org/" target="_blank" rel="noopener noreferrer">Red Panda Network</a>, a conservation organization dedicated to conserving Red Pandas and their habitats throughout Nepal. Red Panda Network is a 2019 Small Grants Fund Recipient. 

</div> 

<hr>



<p>In the&nbsp;misty&nbsp;forests of the Eastern Himalayas, a creature with&nbsp;a fluffy red coat and long bushy tail&nbsp;climbs through the trees.&nbsp;It&nbsp;looks a bit like a cross between a bear and a cat.&nbsp;It&nbsp;has spent&nbsp;its whole day eating bamboo in the understory&nbsp;and is&nbsp;now&nbsp;on its way&nbsp;to the branches above to&nbsp;nap in the sun.&nbsp;</p>



<p>The red panda— whose&nbsp;scientific&nbsp;name,&nbsp;<em><a href="https://www.livescience.com/57312-red-pandas.html" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener" aria-label=" (opens in a new tab)">Ailurus&nbsp;fulgens</a></em>, means fire-coated cat— is a symbolic species of the&nbsp;Himalayan region.&nbsp;But&nbsp;this&nbsp;arboreal mammal&nbsp;has become endangered&nbsp;as development projects and agriculture fracture the&nbsp;forest habitat they need to survive.&nbsp;Red Panda Network&nbsp;(RPN), a conservation&nbsp;organization&nbsp;based in Nepal,&nbsp;is working in local communities&nbsp;near red&nbsp;panda&nbsp;habitats&nbsp;to&nbsp;enact&nbsp;research, education and sustainable&nbsp;development&nbsp;projects&nbsp;to protect&nbsp;red pandas and their forest homes.</p>



<h3>Conserving red pandas protects biodiversity in Himalayan forests</h3>



<p>The red panda is listed as an endangered species by the <a rel="noreferrer noopener" aria-label="IUCN (opens in a new tab)" href="https://www.iucnredlist.org/species/714/110023718" target="_blank">IUCN</a> and limited in range to temperate bamboo forests in South-Western China, Nepal, India, Bhutan and Myanmar. The total worldwide red panda population is estimated to be less than 10,000, with estimates in Nepal ranging from about 200 to 1,000 individuals. As bamboo forms more than <a rel="noreferrer noopener" href="https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC5636060/" target="_blank">83%</a>&nbsp;of red panda diets, the species is vulnerable to&nbsp;<a rel="noreferrer noopener" href="https://www.redpandanetwork.org/red-panda-facts/threats/" target="_blank">habitat loss</a>&nbsp;and&nbsp;fragmentation fueled by clearing for roads and other infrastructure, as well as forest fires and poaching.&nbsp;&nbsp;</p>



<p>Red pandas act as an indicator species for the health of Himalayan forests. Unable to survive in fragmented or degraded habitat, if red pandas are present you will find healthy bamboo forests and clean water. As a charismatic mammal, red pandas are an ideal flagship species for harnessing public support for conservation, acting as an “<a rel="noreferrer noopener" aria-label=" (opens in a new tab)" href="https://www.redpandanetwork.org/red-panda-facts/why-save-the-red-panda/" target="_blank">umbrella</a>” for the protection of other species within their habitat.&nbsp;In addition, red pandas are a genetically unique species. They are the only living member of their own taxonomic family, which means that losing red pandas would mean losing key genetic diversity in the region.&nbsp;</p>



<h3>Forest Guardians lead conservation work in their communities</h3>



<p>Shanti Shahi, the first female Forest Guardian for Western Nepal,&nbsp;marches through the dense forest of&nbsp;<a rel="noreferrer noopener" href="https://www.globalforestwatch.org/map/country/NPL/4/2?mainMap=eyJzaG93QW5hbHlzaXMiOnRydWUsInNob3dCYXNlbWFwcyI6ZmFsc2UsImhpZGVMZWdlbmQiOmZhbHNlfQ%3D%3D&amp;map=eyJjZW50ZXIiOnsibGF0IjoyOS4yODM0OTkzMDY1MTc0NjMsImxuZyI6ODEuNjEzNDA3MDkyODU0Nzd9LCJiZWFyaW5nIjowLCJwaXRjaCI6MCwiem9vbSI6OS4xNzgzNDIzNjE0NTI0MTcsImNhbkJvdW5kIjpmYWxzZSwiYmJveCI6W10sImRyYXdpbmciOmZhbHNlfQ%3D%3D&amp;menu=eyJtZW51U2VjdGlvbiI6IiIsImRhdGFzZXRDYXRlZ29yeSI6IiIsInNlYXJjaCI6IiJ9&amp;treeLoss=eyJpbnRlcmFjdGlvbiI6e319&amp;utm_source=GFWBlog&amp;utm_medium=hyperlink&amp;utm_campaign=GFW&amp;utm_content=RedPandaNetwork_4_2020" target="_blank">Kalikot&nbsp;district</a> — the westernmost distribution limit of the red panda. She lives in a village only accessible by foot and with limited access to healthcare, education and other resources in hilly and mountainous regions. Despite her daily responsibilities helping her family and community, she also dedicates her time to patrolling the forest around her home and reporting on any loss or disturbance.&nbsp;&nbsp; </p>



<div class="imageright"><img class=" wp-image-3569 alignright" style="padding-bottom: 10px;" alt="red panda forest guardians" src="https://content.globalforestwatch.org/wp-content/uploads/2020/03/REGULAR-MONITORING_KALIKOT.jpg" width="100%">Forest Guardians are local residents that patrol red panda habitat, collecting data on panda populations and changes in the habitat. Photo courtesy of Saroj Shrestha/RPN. </div>



<p>RPN’s&nbsp;<a rel="noreferrer noopener" aria-label=" (opens in a new tab)" href="https://www.redpandanetwork.org/contribute/forest-guardians/" target="_blank">Forest Guardian</a> program pays local residents to monitor and protect red panda habitat. Many of the villages surrounding red panda habitat are similar to Shahi’s, so the income provided by this program is a much-needed resource to support families. Forest Guardians consider themselves “wildlife warriors”, acting as the eyes and ears of their communities and keeping watch for illegal activity within the forest.&nbsp; </p>



<p>This community-based approach is central to RPN’s conservation strategies. The organization’s forest assessment practices include regular field monitoring and anti-poaching patrolling conducted by Forest Guardians and members of Community Forest Users’ Groups, which are responsible for managing local forests. During forest monitoring and patrolling, they collect crucial red panda habitat and threat data, along with removing snares and traps. </p>



<h3>Near-real-time data accelerates Red Panda Network's projects</h3>



<p>RPN is now&nbsp;interweaving&nbsp;new technologies into their monitoring work. As a&nbsp;Small Grants Fund recipient,&nbsp;the organization has begun&nbsp;using Global Forest Watch&nbsp;(GFW)&nbsp;data&nbsp;and tools&nbsp;to take the pulse of the forests.&nbsp;&nbsp;</p>



<p>Forest Guardians can now check the Forest Watcher mobile app for near-real-time deforestation alerts and navigate quickly to a detected clearing or fire alert. They can even outline a potential red panda habitat area on their phone and assess for different anthropogenic threats including illegal poaching and hunting. Information collected in the field can be analyzed and compiled into reports even when offline in the middle of the forest.&nbsp; </p>



<p>“Now more than ever, the advent of new technology has the potential to transform environmental protection,” says Laxman Singh, a Forest Guardian&nbsp;with RPN.&nbsp;</p>



<p>The reported data that Forest Guardians collect from the field are accumulated in the RPN database. This information is shared with conservation officers from the respective areas, Community Forest Users’ Group members and is sometimes distributed to press to raise awareness of forest issues. </p>



<div class="imageleft"><img class=" wp-image-3569 alignright" style="padding-bottom: 10px;" alt="red panda" src="https://content.globalforestwatch.org/wp-content/uploads/2020/03/30329437774_de577031ce_k.jpg" width="100%">Red Panda diets consist largely of bamboo. Photo by Mathias Appel/Flickr</div>



<h3>What's on the horizon for Red Panda Network?</h3>



<p> RPN has begun to expand the use of GFW tools throughout the region. They recently conducted their first ever workshop on GFW’s forest monitoring and alert systems for community forest monitors, Forest Guardians and other community-based conservation officers. They’ve also signed a memorandum of understanding with several Community Forests in recognition of the roles of Community Forests Users’ Groups in restoration and sustainable forest management.  RPN hopes that as they train more community members, they can broaden the area of red panda habitat that is under protection, to keep these fluffy symbols of the Himalayan forests around for years to come. </p>



<hr> 

<div class="attribute" style="”padding-bottom:" 10px;”=""> 

BANNER PHOTO: Red pandas are the only living member of their taxonomic family. Photo by <a href="https://www.flickr.com/photos/8063139@N03/531541285" target="_blank" rel="noopener noreferrer">Aussie_Matt/Flickr</a>. 
</div> 

 

<hr>

"Forest Guardians" in Nepal Employ Citizen Science to Protect Endangered Red Pandas

Red pandas, a keystone species for the Himalayan forests, are under threat from habitat loss. Red Panda Network is employing communities to protect them.

"Forest Guardians" in Nepal Employ Citizen Science to Protect Endangered Red Pandas | Users In Action | Global Forest Watch Blog

&#8220;Forest Guardians&#8221; in Nepal Employ Citizen Science to Protect Endangered Red Pandas

https://secure.gravatar.com/avatar/3dc298e411f65b199fc3734919d6934e?s=96&d=mm&r=g

Sarah Ruiz

indigenous peoples

indigenous peoples | Global Forest Watch Blog

mexico

mexico | Global Forest Watch Blog

<hr> 

<div class="attribute"> 

Raul Padilla Calderon is an IT consultant working with the Oaxacan government on Biodiversity matters, and Floriberto Vásquez Ruiz works within the Oaxacan state government as the Undersecretary for Climate Change, Natural Resources and Biodiversity.

</div> 

<hr>



<p>In Oaxaca, Mexico, 78% of the land is controlled by local communities— that’s over 9,375,000 hectares. Yet, although these communities have the right to make decisions about the use of their land, they often lack the data needed to make informed decisions on where to construct settlements, farm or preserve the natural environment.&nbsp; </p>



<p>Mexico’s land rights system designates two types of land for community management, “comunidades agrarias” and “ejidos”, both of which endow the land and all its natural resources to local communities. In Oaxaca, there are<a href="http://bit.ly/2swgTu2" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener" aria-label=" 850 ejidos and 714 comunidades (opens in a new tab)"> 850 ejidos and 714 comunidades</a>, each with their own governing bodies, regulations and customs. The majority of these territories are on rural land, which in Oaxaca is highly mountainous terrain where internet connectivity and access to land management data is rare. </p>



<div class="imageright"><img decoding="async" class=" wp-image-3569 alignright" style="padding-bottom: 10px;" alt="Mapa Oaxaca" src="https://content.globalforestwatch.org/wp-content/uploads/2019/12/scrnshot4.png" width="100%"> GLAD alerts displayed in the Mapa Oaxaca application. </div>



<p>A new phone application, <a rel="noreferrer noopener" aria-label="Mapa Oaxaca (opens in a new tab)" href="https://play.google.com/store/apps/details?id=gob.MapaOaxaca.www" target="_blank">Mapa Oaxaca</a>, places this data in the hands of comuneros and ejiditarios, to help better inform their decisions on how to use the natural resources within their territory. The app was recently commissioned by the state as part of Oaxaca’s efforts to combat climate change, in recognition of the fact that 12% of their greenhouse gas emissions come from the loss of forests. Cellphones are becoming near universal across the younger population who will take advantage of sporadic Wi-Fi signals when available, and Mapa Oaxaca is designed for use on these phones even when they are offline in more remote areas.&nbsp; </p>



<p>The app contains a wealth of data and geographic information divided into six categories:&nbsp;</p>



<ol><li><em><strong>Territorial divisions and land tenure</strong>.</em>&nbsp;This data allows users to see the boundaries of microregions, municipalities and their ejido or&nbsp;comunidad, as well as major population centers and roads.&nbsp;</li><li> <em><strong>Regional Territorial Ecological Planning Program of the State of Oaxaca (POERTEO)</strong>.</em>&nbsp;POERTEO&nbsp;layers provide recommendations for suitable uses of different lands&nbsp;based on the environmental impact of production activities, in order to better protect and preserve the available natural resources.&nbsp; </li><li> <em><strong>Natural resources</strong></em>. This category includes information on the area of basins, rivers, soil types, geology, vegetation and climate.&nbsp; </li><li> <em><strong>National Forestry&nbsp;Commission&nbsp;(CONAFOR)</strong>.&nbsp;</em>This data shows areas that are eligible for financial support from CONAFOR.&nbsp; </li><li> <em><strong>Fire and deforestation alerts.</strong>&nbsp;</em>This category&nbsp;includes&nbsp;GLAD&nbsp;deforestation alerts&nbsp;and fire alerts&nbsp;from <a href="http://bit.ly/2LfScsC" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener" aria-label="Global Forest Watch (opens in a new tab)">Global Forest Watch</a>.&nbsp; </li><li> <em><strong>Ecological integrity indices.</strong></em>&nbsp;This data indicates natural areas that have been degraded by human activity.&nbsp; </li></ol>



<p>Currently most of this data is only accessible by using GIS software on a computer with enough processing power to download and manipulate large datasets, limiting its use to a handful of specialized technicians working either in government agencies or with universities and research institutions. With the Mapa Oaxaca app that technical information can be directly accessed by anyone with a smartphone. </p>



<p>The data is stored within the app, making it useful even when the phone is not connected to the internet. In the case of GFW’s near-real-time alerts, the data is automatically updated each time the phone has access to the internet and stored in the app for future offline use.&nbsp;</p>



<p>Mapa Oaxaca has already been adopted by the staff of the Environment Secretariat for use in their field activities. It is currently in the process of being introduced by the Secretary of the Environment of the Government of Oaxaca to communities across the state. </p>



<p>Other states in Mexico have also expressed interest in adapting the Mapa Oaxaca format for their particular use. A territorial planning app like this could be useful for states like Chiapas and Quintana Roo where the majority of forest resources fall on ejido or communal lands.&nbsp; </p>



<p>Similar tools have already begun to be employed on a smaller scale to help in monitoring the <a href="http://bit.ly/2Y9nTsu" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener" aria-label="Selva El Ocote Biosphere Reserve (opens in a new tab)">Selva El Ocote Biosphere Reserve</a> in Chiapas. In October, a pilot of the platform began, testing its usefulness for rapid response to forest clearing or fire within the reserve.&nbsp; </p>



<p>Environmental monitoring tools continue to proliferate as new sources of data become available, but data is only useful if it is accessible. Mapa Oaxaca strives to bridge the technological gap for the people of Oaxaca, giving them the information they need to sustainably manage their lands.&nbsp; </p>



<hr> 

<div class="attribute" style="”padding-bottom:" 10px;”="">
BANNER PHOTO: Oaxaca is a mountainous region in Mexico. Photo by <a href="https://www.flickr.com/photos/alistairkitchen/13285047655/in/photolist-meXkPM-eeBXgv-4qppfs-4qppcw-Sv1F7K-4qkjrV-4qppkC-RpQseb-RskBGZ-MJkggi-daz8Qi-meXsgz-USnYw-meXqSn-meXpw6-fUmZMv-meZjBb-meYbMe-meZePL-meYcbv-KbJipA-dazakE-meXmsF-meYb2g-4bR9L1-5Wd9H6-8QC13N-SCGpBQ-awAXF8-3dxrH3-4qkjhc-4qkkxT-awASCx-bUd73L-4qkjwX-meXn4k-meXnFn-meZi5J-meZhvh-88V3iX-7B5jiC-7B1wcX-SGkyUp-d73TXo-d73VPf-awDze7-3dsZnV-d73TBm-awDiDU-d73Ry5" target="_blank" rel="noopener noreferrer">Alistair Kitchen/Flickr</a>. 
 

</div> 

 

<hr>



<style type="text/css"></style>

Mapa Oaxaca Platform Puts the Power of Data into the Hands of Mexican Communities

<hr> 

<div class="attribute"> 

Raul Padilla Calderon is an IT consultant working with the Oaxacan government on Biodiversity matters, and Floriberto Vásquez Ruiz works within the Oaxacan state government as the Undersecretary for Climate Change, Natural Resources and Biodiversity.

</div> 

<hr>



<p>In Oaxaca, Mexico, 78% of the land is controlled by local communities— that’s over 9,375,000 hectares. Yet, although these communities have the right to make decisions about the use of their land, they often lack the data needed to make informed decisions on where to construct settlements, farm or preserve the natural environment.&nbsp; </p>



<p>Mexico’s land rights system designates two types of land for community management, “comunidades agrarias” and “ejidos”, both of which endow the land and all its natural resources to local communities. In Oaxaca, there are<a href="http://bit.ly/2swgTu2" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener" aria-label=" 850 ejidos and 714 comunidades (opens in a new tab)"> 850 ejidos and 714 comunidades</a>, each with their own governing bodies, regulations and customs. The majority of these territories are on rural land, which in Oaxaca is highly mountainous terrain where internet connectivity and access to land management data is rare. </p>



<div class="imageright"><img class=" wp-image-3569 alignright" style="padding-bottom: 10px;" alt="Mapa Oaxaca" src="https://content.globalforestwatch.org/wp-content/uploads/2019/12/scrnshot4.png" width="100%"> GLAD alerts displayed in the Mapa Oaxaca application. </div>



<p>A new phone application, <a rel="noreferrer noopener" aria-label="Mapa Oaxaca (opens in a new tab)" href="https://play.google.com/store/apps/details?id=gob.MapaOaxaca.www" target="_blank">Mapa Oaxaca</a>, places this data in the hands of comuneros and ejiditarios, to help better inform their decisions on how to use the natural resources within their territory. The app was recently commissioned by the state as part of Oaxaca's efforts to combat climate change, in recognition of the fact that 12% of their greenhouse gas emissions come from the loss of forests. Cellphones are becoming near universal across the younger population who will take advantage of sporadic Wi-Fi signals when available, and Mapa Oaxaca is designed for use on these phones even when they are offline in more remote areas.&nbsp; </p>



<p>The app contains a wealth of data and geographic information divided into six categories:&nbsp;</p>



<ol><li><em><strong>Territorial divisions and land tenure</strong>.</em>&nbsp;This data allows users to see the boundaries of microregions, municipalities and their ejido or&nbsp;comunidad, as well as major population centers and roads.&nbsp;</li><li> <em><strong>Regional Territorial Ecological Planning Program of the State of Oaxaca (POERTEO)</strong>.</em>&nbsp;POERTEO&nbsp;layers provide recommendations for suitable uses of different lands&nbsp;based on the environmental impact of production activities, in order to better protect and preserve the available natural resources.&nbsp; </li><li> <em><strong>Natural resources</strong></em>. This category includes information on the area of basins, rivers, soil types, geology, vegetation and climate.&nbsp; </li><li> <em><strong>National Forestry&nbsp;Commission&nbsp;(CONAFOR)</strong>.&nbsp;</em>This data shows areas that are eligible for financial support from CONAFOR.&nbsp; </li><li> <em><strong>Fire and deforestation alerts.</strong>&nbsp;</em>This category&nbsp;includes&nbsp;GLAD&nbsp;deforestation alerts&nbsp;and fire alerts&nbsp;from <a href="http://bit.ly/2LfScsC" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener" aria-label="Global Forest Watch (opens in a new tab)">Global Forest Watch</a>.&nbsp; </li><li> <em><strong>Ecological integrity indices.</strong></em>&nbsp;This data indicates natural areas that have been degraded by human activity.&nbsp; </li></ol>



<p>Currently most of this data is only accessible by using GIS software on a computer with enough processing power to download and manipulate large datasets, limiting its use to a handful of specialized technicians working either in government agencies or with universities and research institutions. With the Mapa Oaxaca app that technical information can be directly accessed by anyone with a smartphone. </p>



<p>The data is stored within the app, making it useful even when the phone is not connected to the internet. In the case of GFW’s near-real-time alerts, the data is automatically updated each time the phone has access to the internet and stored in the app for future offline use.&nbsp;</p>



<p>Mapa Oaxaca has already been adopted by the staff of the Environment Secretariat for use in their field activities. It is currently in the process of being introduced by the Secretary of the Environment of the Government of Oaxaca to communities across the state. </p>



<p>Other states in Mexico have also expressed interest in adapting the Mapa Oaxaca format for their particular use. A territorial planning app like this could be useful for states like Chiapas and Quintana Roo where the majority of forest resources fall on ejido or communal lands.&nbsp; </p>



<p>Similar tools have already begun to be employed on a smaller scale to help in monitoring the <a href="http://bit.ly/2Y9nTsu" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener" aria-label="Selva El Ocote Biosphere Reserve (opens in a new tab)">Selva El Ocote Biosphere Reserve</a> in Chiapas. In October, a pilot of the platform began, testing its usefulness for rapid response to forest clearing or fire within the reserve.&nbsp; </p>



<p>Environmental monitoring tools continue to proliferate as new sources of data become available, but data is only useful if it is accessible. Mapa Oaxaca strives to bridge the technological gap for the people of Oaxaca, giving them the information they need to sustainably manage their lands.&nbsp; </p>



<hr> 

<div class="attribute" style="”padding-bottom:" 10px;”="">
BANNER PHOTO: Oaxaca is a mountainous region in Mexico. Photo by <a href="https://www.flickr.com/photos/alistairkitchen/13285047655/in/photolist-meXkPM-eeBXgv-4qppfs-4qppcw-Sv1F7K-4qkjrV-4qppkC-RpQseb-RskBGZ-MJkggi-daz8Qi-meXsgz-USnYw-meXqSn-meXpw6-fUmZMv-meZjBb-meYbMe-meZePL-meYcbv-KbJipA-dazakE-meXmsF-meYb2g-4bR9L1-5Wd9H6-8QC13N-SCGpBQ-awAXF8-3dxrH3-4qkjhc-4qkkxT-awASCx-bUd73L-4qkjwX-meXn4k-meXnFn-meZi5J-meZhvh-88V3iX-7B5jiC-7B1wcX-SGkyUp-d73TXo-d73VPf-awDze7-3dsZnV-d73TBm-awDiDU-d73Ry5" target="_blank" rel="noopener noreferrer">Alistair Kitchen/Flickr</a>. 
 

</div> 

 

<hr>

<hr> 

<div class="attribute"> 
Raúl Padilla es consultor informático para el gobierno de Oaxaca en materia de biodiversidad. Floriberto Vásquez Ruiz es Subsecretario de cambio climático, recursos naturales y biodiversidad.
</div> 

<hr>



<p>En Oaxaca, México, 78%
de las tierras son controladas por comunidades locales – esto es más de
9,375,000 hectáreas.-Aunque estas comunidades tienen derechos sobre el uso de
sus tierras, regularmente no cuentan con los datos necesarios para tomar
decisiones informadas acerca de dónde construir asentamientos humanos, granjas
o preservar el entorno natural.</p>



<p>El sistema de derechos sobre la tierra de México designa dos tipos de manejo comunitario “comunidades agrarias” y “ejidos”, ambos dotan a las comunidades del uso de la tierra y todos sus recursos naturales asociados. En Oaxaca, hay <a href="http://bit.ly/2swgTu2" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener" aria-label="850 ejidos y 714 comunidades (opens in a new tab)">850 ejidos y 714 comunidades</a>, cada uno con sus propios &nbsp;gobiernos, regulación y usos y costumbres. La mayoría de estos territorios son comunidades rurales que se encuentran en terrenos montañosos donde la conectividad a Internet y el acceso a datos sobre manejo de tierras son escasos. </p>



<div class="imageright"><img class=" wp-image-3569 alignright" style="padding-bottom: 10px;" alt="Mapa Oaxaca" src="https://content.globalforestwatch.org/wp-content/uploads/2019/12/scrnshot4.png" width="100%"> Alertas GLAD mostradas en la aplicación Mapa Oaxaca. </div>



<p>Una nueva aplicación móvil, <em><a href="https://play.google.com/store/apps/details?id=gob.MapaOaxaca.www" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener" aria-label="Mapa Oaxaca (opens in a new tab)">Mapa Oaxaca</a></em>, coloca estos datos en manos de comuneros y ejidatarios, para ayudar a informar mejor sus decisiones sobre cómo usar los recursos naturales dentro de su territorio. La app fue recientemente comisionada por Oaxaca como parte de los esfuerzos del estado para combatir el cambio climático, reconociendo el hecho de que el 12% de sus emisiones de gases de efecto invernadero provienen de la pérdida de bosques. Los teléfonos celulares se están convirtiendo casi universales entre la población más joven, que aprovecha las esporádicas señales de Wi-Fi, Mapa Oaxaca está diseñado para usarse en estos teléfonos, incluso cuando estén desconectados en las áreas más remotas.</p>



<p>La app contiene datos e
información geográfica dividida en seis categorías:</p>



<ol><li><strong>Divisiones territoriales y posesión de la tierra</strong>: Estos datos permiten al usuario ver los límites de microrregiones, municipios y ejidos o comunidades, así como los principales centros de población y carreteras.</li><li><strong>Programa de Ordenamiento Ecológico Regional del Territorio del Estado de&nbsp;Oaxaca (POERTEO):</strong>&nbsp;Las capas de POERTEO proporcionan recomendaciones para usos adecuados de diferentes tierras en función del impacto ambiental de las actividades de producción, a fin de proteger y preservar mejor los recursos naturales disponibles. </li><li><strong>Recursos naturales</strong>:&nbsp; Esta categoría incluye información del área como cuencas, ríos, tipos de suelo, geología, vegetación y clima.</li><li><strong>Comisión Nacional Forestal (CONAFOR):</strong> Estos datos muestran áreas que son elegibles para recibir apoyo financiero de CONAFOR.</li><li><strong>Alertas de incendios y deforestación</strong>: Esta categoría incluye alertas GLAD de deforestación e incendios de <a href="http://bit.ly/2LfScsC" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener" aria-label="Global Forest Watch (opens in a new tab)">Global Forest Watch</a>. </li><li><strong>Índices de integridad ecológica</strong>: Estos datos incluyen áreas naturales que han sido degradadas por actividades humanas.</li></ol>



<p>Actualmente, la mayoría
de los datos son solo accesibles a través de Sistemas de Información Geográfica
(SIG) en una computadora con suficiente poder de procesamiento para descargar y
manipular grandes grupos de datos, limitando el uso a técnicos especializados
que trabajan en agencias gubernamentales, universidades o instituciones de
investigación. Con la app Mapa Oaxaca, cualquier persona con un teléfono
inteligente puede acceder directamente a la información técnica.</p>



<p>Los datos se almacenan
dentro de la aplicación, por lo que se pueden usar incluso cuando el teléfono
no está conectado a internet. En el caso de las alertas <em>casi en tiempo real</em> de GFW, los datos se actualizan automáticamente
cada vez que el teléfono tiene acceso a internet y se almacenan en la
aplicación para uso sin conexión.</p>



<p>Mapa Oaxaca ya ha sido
adoptado por el personal de la Secretaría del Medio Ambiente del estado para su
uso en sus actividades de campo. Actualmente, está en proceso de ser presentada
por el Secretario del Medio Ambiente del Gobierno de Oaxaca a las comunidades
de todo el estado.</p>



<p>Otros estados en México
también han expresado su interés en adaptar el formato de Mapa Oaxaca para sus
propios casos. Una aplicación de planificación territorial como ésta podría ser
útil para estados como Chiapas y Quintana Roo, donde la mayoría de los recursos
forestales se encuentran en ejidos o tierras comunales.</p>



<p>Ya se han comenzado a
utilizar herramientas similares a menor escala para ayudar a monitorear la
Reserva de Biosfera Selva El Ocote, en Chiapas. En octubre, comenzó un piloto
de la plataforma, probando su utilidad para una respuesta rápida a la tala de
bosques o incendios dentro de la reserva.</p>



<p>Las herramientas de
monitoreo ambiental continúan proliferando a medida que nuevas fuentes de datos
están disponibles, ya que éstos solo son útiles si son accesibles. Mapa Oaxaca
se esfuerza por cerrar la brecha tecnológica para la gente de Oaxaca,
brindándoles la información que necesitan para administrar sus tierras de
manera sostenible.</p>



<hr> 

<div class="attribute" style="”padding-bottom:" 10px;”=""> 
FOTO BANNER: Oaxaca es una región montañosa en México. Foto por <a href="https://www.flickr.com/photos/alistairkitchen/13285047655/in/photolist-meXkPM-eeBXgv-4qppfs-4qppcw-Sv1F7K-4qkjrV-4qppkC-RpQseb-RskBGZ-MJkggi-daz8Qi-meXsgz-USnYw-meXqSn-meXpw6-fUmZMv-meZjBb-meYbMe-meZePL-meYcbv-KbJipA-dazakE-meXmsF-meYb2g-4bR9L1-5Wd9H6-8QC13N-SCGpBQ-awAXF8-3dxrH3-4qkjhc-4qkkxT-awASCx-bUd73L-4qkjwX-meXn4k-meXnFn-meZi5J-meZhvh-88V3iX-7B5jiC-7B1wcX-SGkyUp-d73TXo-d73VPf-awDze7-3dsZnV-d73TBm-awDiDU-d73Ry5" target="_blank" rel="noopener noreferrer">Alistair Kitchen/Flickr</a>. 

 
 

</div> 

 

<hr>

La Plataforma Mapa Oaxaca Pone el Poder de los Datos en las Manos de las Comunidades Mexicanas

A new phone application, Map Oaxaca, places land use data in the hands of comuneros and ejiditarios, to help better inform their decisions.

A new phone application, Mapa Oaxaca, places land use data in the hands of comuneros and ejiditarios, to help better inform their decisions.

Mapa Oaxaca Platform Puts the Power of Data into the Hands of Mexican Communities | Global Forest Watch Blog

Jamie Gibson

<p>Global Forest Watch (GFW) has recently passed a major milestone: its 2 millionth user! In just four and a half years, 2 million people have come to this collection of maps, graphs and data. That means 2 million people planning patrols in protected areas, searching for information on tree cover loss, or monitoring the forests near their home towns. That’s 2 million people looking at near real-time-data about what’s happening to the world’s forests.</p>
<p>I joined Vizzuality four years ago and have spent a lot of my time reviewing who uses GFW and how they use it. To celebrate this milestone, I want to take you on a journey through the last few years, showing how the platform and its audience have grown in that time.</p>
<div class="imagecenter"><img decoding="async" class=" wp-image-3569 alignright" style="padding-bottom: 10px;" src="https://content.globalforestwatch.org/wp-content/uploads/2018/10/VizzGraph_2millblog-02.png" alt="usergraph" width="100%" /></div>
<p><strong>2014</strong><strong>: A big welcome </strong></p>
<p>GFW had a big welcome into the world. Within just one month we had over 250,000 people visit the site. Many found us via news articles and had a cursory look over the site — only ninety seconds on average. But that brief visit was all it took to plant the seed that open forest data could change global forest conservation.</p>
<div class="imagecenter"><img decoding="async" class=" wp-image-3569 alignright" style="padding-bottom: 10px;" src="https://content.globalforestwatch.org/wp-content/uploads/2018/10/gfw-2014-map.png" alt="2014 GFW" width="100%" />GFW’s map platform as it looked in 2014.</div>
<p>After the excitement of the launch, the rest of 2014 had more steady usage — around 23,000 visits a month. While we reached our first 250,000 in just two weeks, our second 250,000 took ten more months. Over the course of those months we released new data and features that extended the ability to analyze and customize data.</p>
<p><strong>2015: Growing our core audience</strong></p>
<p>We launched an improved version of the map in early 2015 and saw the rate of usage increase to around 31,000 users a month throughout 2015. The average time spent investigating the site also increased to nearly four minutes.  We also launched the Commodities, Fires, and Climate apps on GFW to provide more focused data for those looking to answer specific questions about deforestation.</p>
<div class="imagecenter"><img decoding="async" class=" wp-image-3569 alignright" style="padding-bottom: 10px;" src="https://content.globalforestwatch.org/wp-content/uploads/2018/10/VizzGraph_2millblog-01.png" alt="usergraph2" width="100%" /></div>
<p><strong>2016: The halfway point </strong></p>
<p>In the first few years of GFW, anyone trying to examine the actual forest condition underneath those blue forest gain and pink forest loss pixels had to access Landsat satellite imagery. But those images had a low resolution, so you’d have to squint really hard just to make out the difference between a patch of green forest and a patch of brown dirt.</p>
<p>The addition of high quality satellite images in 2016 made a big difference for users looking deep into the dynamics of land change around the world and since then nearly 22,000 people have used this imagery to conduct detailed land cover analyses.</p>
<p>By May 2016, just 28 months after launch, we reached a total of 1 million unique users on the platform!</p>
<div class="imagecenter"><img decoding="async" class=" wp-image-3569 alignright" style="padding-bottom: 10px;" src="https://content.globalforestwatch.org/wp-content/uploads/2018/10/peru-deforestation-alerts.png" alt="Peru satellite imagery." width="100%" />Recent satellite imagery and deforestation alerts in Peru.</div>
<p><strong>2017: Game-changing GLAD alerts  </strong></p>
<p>Throughout 2016 and 2017 we continued making small adjustments to the platform. Chief among them was the addition of high-resolution weekly change data GLAD alerts. This majorly improved the quality of data visible, as select countries could see precisely where forests were being lost every week!</p>
<p>The GLAD alerts feature generated a dramatic response, both on the site and out in the field. Monthly visitors to the site increased 20 percent on average and we started seeing examples of real world impact. Researchers using GLAD alerts in Peru for example, were able to detect a new, clear-cut swath of land amid pristine forests. The clearing was linked to United Cacao — a company claiming to practice sustainable agriculture on already degraded land — and their failure to follow through on their deforestation-free commitments was exposed.</p>
<div class="imagecenter"><img decoding="async" class=" wp-image-3569 alignright" style="padding-bottom: 10px;" src="https://content.globalforestwatch.org/wp-content/uploads/2018/10/time-spent-looking-gfw-map.gif" alt="GFW user Gif" width="100%" />2017 areas of interest. Each pixel represents the sum of all time spent viewing an area, with yellow indicating high interest.</div>
<p><strong>2018: The record summer </strong></p>
<p>In the spring we updated our country pages to provide more detailed answers to key questions. The audience size in July, and then August 2018, brought the largest number of users we’ve seen since the opening month. Large global interest in fires contributed in driving traffic to the site. We’re also seeing increased use of our embedded pages — where people have taken a visualization from GFW and shared it on their own site. As an open data platform, where every graphic and piece of data is available to share across the web, it’s rewarding to see our reach expanding.</p>
<p><strong>What’s next?</strong></p>
<p>Just four and a half years after launch, we have passed the 2 million user milestone! It took 28 months to reach the first million, and 26 months to reach the second million. With a new map on the way later this year, and GLAD alert data now available for the entire tropical region, we’re confident we can reach our next million in record time. Want to help us get there? Here’s how:</p>
<ul>
<li><a href="https://blog.globalforestwatch.org/places-to-watch" target="_blank" rel="noopener noreferrer">Read about key Places to Watch for deforestation.</a></li>
<li>Go to your home town on the map and see if there’s been any change in the woods and forests near your home. Then share what you find on social media.</li>
<li><a href="https://www.globalforestwatch.org/dashboards/global" target="_blank" rel="noopener noreferrer">Get a global overview of what’s happening to our world’s forests</a>, then go further and see what’s happening in your country or state.</li>
</ul>
<hr />
<div class="attribute">
<p>BANNER PHOTO: <a href="https://www.globalforestwatch.org/map" target="_blank" rel="noopener noreferrer">GFW’s 2018 map</a>.</p>
<p>Longer version of this post available on <a href="https://medium.com/@jamiegibson90/32f63cd9a46" target="_blank" rel="noopener noreferrer">Medium</a>.</p>
</div>
<hr />
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0 to 2 Million in Under 5 Years: GFW Celebrates a Growing Usership

Global Forest Watch (GFW) has recently passed a major milestone: its 2 millionth user! In just four and a half years, 2 million people have come to this collection of maps, graphs and data. That means 2 million people planning patrols in protected areas, searching for information on tree cover loss, or monitoring the forests near their home towns. That’s 2 million people looking at near real-time-data about what's happening to the world's forests.

I joined Vizzuality four years ago and have spent a lot of my time reviewing who uses GFW and how they use it. To celebrate this milestone, I want to take you on a journey through the last few years, showing how the platform and its audience have grown in that time.
<div class="imagecenter"><img class=" wp-image-3569 alignright" style="padding-bottom: 10px;" src="https://content.globalforestwatch.org/wp-content/uploads/2018/10/VizzGraph_2millblog-02.png" alt="usergraph" width="100%" /></div>
<strong>2014</strong><strong>: A big welcome </strong>

GFW had a big welcome into the world. Within just one month we had over 250,000 people visit the site. Many found us via news articles and had a cursory look over the site — only ninety seconds on average. But that brief visit was all it took to plant the seed that open forest data could change global forest conservation.
<div class="imagecenter"><img class=" wp-image-3569 alignright" style="padding-bottom: 10px;" src="https://content.globalforestwatch.org/wp-content/uploads/2018/10/gfw-2014-map.png" alt="2014 GFW" width="100%" />GFW's map platform as it looked in 2014.</div>
After the excitement of the launch, the rest of 2014 had more steady usage — around 23,000 visits a month. While we reached our first 250,000 in just two weeks, our second 250,000 took ten more months. Over the course of those months we released new data and features that extended the ability to analyze and customize data.

<strong>2015: Growing our core audience</strong>

We launched an improved version of the map in early 2015 and saw the rate of usage increase to around 31,000 users a month throughout 2015. The average time spent investigating the site also increased to nearly four minutes.  We also launched the Commodities, Fires, and Climate apps on GFW to provide more focused data for those looking to answer specific questions about deforestation.
<div class="imagecenter"><img class=" wp-image-3569 alignright" style="padding-bottom: 10px;" src="https://content.globalforestwatch.org/wp-content/uploads/2018/10/VizzGraph_2millblog-01.png" alt="usergraph2" width="100%" /></div>
<strong>2016: The halfway point </strong>

In the first few years of GFW, anyone trying to examine the actual forest condition underneath those blue forest gain and pink forest loss pixels had to access Landsat satellite imagery. But those images had a low resolution, so you’d have to squint really hard just to make out the difference between a patch of green forest and a patch of brown dirt.

The addition of high quality satellite images in 2016 made a big difference for users looking deep into the dynamics of land change around the world and since then nearly 22,000 people have used this imagery to conduct detailed land cover analyses.

By May 2016, just 28 months after launch, we reached a total of 1 million unique users on the platform!
<div class="imagecenter"><img class=" wp-image-3569 alignright" style="padding-bottom: 10px;" src="https://content.globalforestwatch.org/wp-content/uploads/2018/10/peru-deforestation-alerts.png" alt="Peru satellite imagery." width="100%" />Recent satellite imagery and deforestation alerts in Peru.</div>
<strong>2017: Game-changing GLAD alerts  </strong>

Throughout 2016 and 2017 we continued making small adjustments to the platform. Chief among them was the addition of high-resolution weekly change data GLAD alerts. This majorly improved the quality of data visible, as select countries could see precisely where forests were being lost every week!

The GLAD alerts feature generated a dramatic response, both on the site and out in the field. Monthly visitors to the site increased 20 percent on average and we started seeing examples of real world impact. Researchers using GLAD alerts in Peru for example, were able to detect a new, clear-cut swath of land amid pristine forests. The clearing was linked to United Cacao — a company claiming to practice sustainable agriculture on already degraded land — and their failure to follow through on their deforestation-free commitments was exposed.
<div class="imagecenter"><img class=" wp-image-3569 alignright" style="padding-bottom: 10px;" src="https://content.globalforestwatch.org/wp-content/uploads/2018/10/time-spent-looking-gfw-map.gif" alt="GFW user Gif" width="100%" />2017 areas of interest. Each pixel represents the sum of all time spent viewing an area, with yellow indicating high interest.</div>
<strong>2018: The record summer </strong>

In the spring we updated our country pages to provide more detailed answers to key questions. The audience size in July, and then August 2018, brought the largest number of users we’ve seen since the opening month. Large global interest in fires contributed in driving traffic to the site. We’re also seeing increased use of our embedded pages — where people have taken a visualization from GFW and shared it on their own site. As an open data platform, where every graphic and piece of data is available to share across the web, it’s rewarding to see our reach expanding.

<strong>What’s next?</strong>

Just four and a half years after launch, we have passed the 2 million user milestone! It took 28 months to reach the first million, and 26 months to reach the second million. With a new map on the way later this year, and GLAD alert data now available for the entire tropical region, we’re confident we can reach our next million in record time. Want to help us get there? Here’s how:
<ul>
 	<li><a href="https://blog.globalforestwatch.org/places-to-watch" target="_blank" rel="noopener noreferrer">Read about key Places to Watch for deforestation.</a></li>
 	<li>Go to your home town on the map and see if there’s been any change in the woods and forests near your home. Then share what you find on social media.</li>
 	<li><a href="https://www.globalforestwatch.org/dashboards/global" target="_blank" rel="noopener noreferrer">Get a global overview of what’s happening to our world’s forests</a>, then go further and see what’s happening in your country or state.</li>
</ul>

<hr />

<div class="attribute">

BANNER PHOTO: <a href="https://www.globalforestwatch.org/map" target="_blank" rel="noopener noreferrer">GFW's 2018 map</a>.

Longer version of this post available on <a href="https://medium.com/@jamiegibson90/32f63cd9a46" target="_blank" rel="noopener noreferrer">Medium</a>.

</div>

<hr />

<style type="text/css"></style>

Global Forest Watch (GFW) has recently passed a major milestone: its 2 millionth user! In just four and a half years, 2 million people have come to this

0 to 2 Million in Under 5 Years: GFW Celebrates a Growing Usership | Users In Action | Global Forest Watch Blog

<p><em>The Reforestamos Mexico GFW Contest recently recognized Sur Verde’s innovative use</em> <em>of the Global Forest Watch platform in finding solutions to socioenvironmental issues. Learn more about the </em><a href="http://www.reforestamosmexico.org/copia-de-aguacate" target="_blank" rel="noopener noreferrer"><em>contests here.  </em></a></p>
<p>The United Nations’ <a href="https://www.un.org/sustainabledevelopment/sustainable-development-goals/" target="_blank" rel="noopener noreferrer">Sustainable Development Goal 15</a> provides a framework towards efforts to sustainably manage forests, combat desertification, halt and reverse land degradation and halt biodiversity loss. One of the major road blocks in achieving this goal is not availability of the necessary resources, but instead the inability to measure and monitor progress. How do we know if deforestation is truly decreasing, or if the well-being of a community is increasing?</p>
<p>As an organization that works to build local capacities for sustainable development within marginalized communities of southern Mexico, we at Sur Verde recognized that to enable meaningful action, policy makers, scientists and researchers must understand the conditions on the ground for both communities and the environment they depend on. In the search for solutions, we discovered Global Forest Watch (<a href="http://www.globalforestwatch.org/" target="_blank" rel="noopener noreferrer">GFW</a>) and found that the interactive nature of the platform could help actors better evaluate and assess the progress of their goals.</p>
<p>We chose to begin our monitoring project using GFW in the <a href="https://www.worldheritagesite.org/list/Calakmul" target="_blank" rel="noopener noreferrer">Calakmul Biosphere Reserve</a> because it is one of the largest and most well preserved tropical forests in Mexico; recently added to UNESCO’s list of World Heritage Sites.  In the first phase of the project, we focused on the collection of data relevant to conservation, sustainable management, climate change mitigation and community well-being. We collected baseline data on environmental indicators such as change in forest cover, drivers of change, priority habitat identification and biodiversity analysis. By hosting workshops in thirty-two ejidos (community territories) within Calakmul reserve, we also gathered information on social and political indicators like public policies that affect the region and the well-being of the communities as well as information on their cultural and political heterogeneity.</p>
<p>During the second phase of the project, we combined the data we collected with data that is already available on GFW and used MapBuilder to create a system for monitoring biodiversity and carbon sinks and measuring the impact of the project on local livelihoods.  With ArcGIS Online, we embedded our personalized MapBuilder maps on our website, <a href="http://surverde.org/worksites/" target="_blank" rel="noopener noreferrer">surverde.org</a> making them an accessible to policymakers and the public. The ability to post maps directly to our website enables stakeholders to see the social and environmental impact that Sur Verde’s projects are having in the region.</p>
<p>The government of Campeche shares our objective of developing a system to monitor biodiversity, so we held a training for officials to learn to use the tools. The government has already begun to use GFW to monitor deforestation, particularly to monitor areas in which logging permits have not been issued and areas that are home to endangered species like jaguars, tapirs and white-lipped peccaries.</p>
<div class="imagecenter"><img decoding="async" class=" wp-image-3569 alignright" style="padding-bottom: 10px;" src="https://content.globalforestwatch.org/wp-content/uploads/2018/09/SurVerde-map.png" alt="surverde map" width="100%" />Sur Verde’s biodiversity monitoring system, created with GFW’s mapbuilder.</div>
<p>With our monitoring system in place we have also begun using the GFW platform to identify communities that might be interested in participating in restoration projects. MapBuilder enables us to overlay GFW data on community land holdings with the Mexican government’s data layer for areas with restoration potential. With this information we can identify appropriate communities within reserve and surrounding areas.  The recently elected government has announced a new one million hectares reforestation plan and we hope that through our continued use of GFW we will be able to target areas and communities that could really benefit from increased government support.</p>
<p>Sur Verde is at the intersection of human well-being and environmental conservation, and we hope to continue finding ways to strengthen our own work using open data and technology.</p>
<hr />
<div class="attribute">
<p>BANNER PHOTO: <a href="http://surverde.org/" target="_blank" rel="noopener noreferrer">Sur Verde</a>.</p>
</div>
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PARTNER POST: Sur Verde Adaptive Monitoring: Mitigation and Adaptation in Calakmul, Campeche

<em>The Reforestamos Mexico GFW Contest recently recognized Sur Verde’s innovative use</em> <em>of the Global Forest Watch platform in finding solutions to socioenvironmental issues. Learn more about the </em><a href="http://www.reforestamosmexico.org/copia-de-aguacate" target="_blank" rel="noopener noreferrer"><em>contests here.  </em></a>

The United Nations’ <a href="https://www.un.org/sustainabledevelopment/sustainable-development-goals/" target="_blank" rel="noopener noreferrer">Sustainable Development Goal 15</a> provides a framework towards efforts to sustainably manage forests, combat desertification, halt and reverse land degradation and halt biodiversity loss. One of the major road blocks in achieving this goal is not availability of the necessary resources, but instead the inability to measure and monitor progress. How do we know if deforestation is truly decreasing, or if the well-being of a community is increasing?

As an organization that works to build local capacities for sustainable development within marginalized communities of southern Mexico, we at Sur Verde recognized that to enable meaningful action, policy makers, scientists and researchers must understand the conditions on the ground for both communities and the environment they depend on. In the search for solutions, we discovered Global Forest Watch (<a href="http://www.globalforestwatch.org/" target="_blank" rel="noopener noreferrer">GFW</a>) and found that the interactive nature of the platform could help actors better evaluate and assess the progress of their goals.

We chose to begin our monitoring project using GFW in the <a href="https://www.worldheritagesite.org/list/Calakmul" target="_blank" rel="noopener noreferrer">Calakmul Biosphere Reserve</a> because it is one of the largest and most well preserved tropical forests in Mexico; recently added to UNESCO’s list of World Heritage Sites.  In the first phase of the project, we focused on the collection of data relevant to conservation, sustainable management, climate change mitigation and community well-being. We collected baseline data on environmental indicators such as change in forest cover, drivers of change, priority habitat identification and biodiversity analysis. By hosting workshops in thirty-two ejidos (community territories) within Calakmul reserve, we also gathered information on social and political indicators like public policies that affect the region and the well-being of the communities as well as information on their cultural and political heterogeneity.

During the second phase of the project, we combined the data we collected with data that is already available on GFW and used MapBuilder to create a system for monitoring biodiversity and carbon sinks and measuring the impact of the project on local livelihoods.  With ArcGIS Online, we embedded our personalized MapBuilder maps on our website, <a href="http://surverde.org/worksites/" target="_blank" rel="noopener noreferrer">surverde.org</a> making them an accessible to policymakers and the public. The ability to post maps directly to our website enables stakeholders to see the social and environmental impact that Sur Verde’s projects are having in the region.

The government of Campeche shares our objective of developing a system to monitor biodiversity, so we held a training for officials to learn to use the tools. The government has already begun to use GFW to monitor deforestation, particularly to monitor areas in which logging permits have not been issued and areas that are home to endangered species like jaguars, tapirs and white-lipped peccaries.
<div class="imagecenter"><img class=" wp-image-3569 alignright" style="padding-bottom: 10px;" src="https://content.globalforestwatch.org/wp-content/uploads/2018/09/SurVerde-map.png" alt="surverde map" width="100%" />Sur Verde's biodiversity monitoring system, created with GFW's mapbuilder.</div>
With our monitoring system in place we have also begun using the GFW platform to identify communities that might be interested in participating in restoration projects. MapBuilder enables us to overlay GFW data on community land holdings with the Mexican government’s data layer for areas with restoration potential. With this information we can identify appropriate communities within reserve and surrounding areas.  The recently elected government has announced a new one million hectares reforestation plan and we hope that through our continued use of GFW we will be able to target areas and communities that could really benefit from increased government support.

Sur Verde is at the intersection of human well-being and environmental conservation, and we hope to continue finding ways to strengthen our own work using open data and technology.

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BANNER PHOTO: <a href="http://surverde.org/" target="_blank" rel="noopener noreferrer">Sur Verde</a>.

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<em>A través del Certámen GFW en México, se identificó el uso innovador de la plataforma de GFW por parte de Investigación y Soluciones Socioambientales A.C. (</em><a href="http://surverde.org/" target="_blank" rel="noopener noreferrer"><em>Sur Verde</em></a><em>). Mayores detalles sobre el Certámen </em><a href="http://www.reforestamosmexico.org/copia-de-aguacate" target="_blank" rel="noopener noreferrer"><em>aquí</em></a><em>.</em>

El objetivo de <a href="https://www.un.org/sustainabledevelopment/es/" target="_blank" rel="noopener noreferrer">Desarrollo Sostenible 15</a>, propuesto por Las Naciones Unidades, nos da un marco político para lograr la meta de gestionar los bosques de manera sostenible, combatir la deforestación, la perdida de la biodiversidad y la degradación de la tierra. Uno de los problemas más grandes que enfrentamos en lograr este objetivo no es la falta de recursos necesarios, pero más bien la incapacidad de poder medir y monitorear nuestro progreso. ¿Como sabemos si la deforestación se está reduciendo, o si el bienestar de una comunidad se está mejorando?

Nosotros en Sur Verde somos una organización con la misión de aumentar capacidad local para el desarrollo sostenible entre las comunidades del sur de México, las cuales históricamente han sido marginalizadas. Para habilitar acción significativa, nosotros creemos que políticos, científicos e investigadores deben entender y ser expuestos a las condiciones de vida de estas comunidades y el ambiente del cual dependen. En nuestra busca de soluciones, descubrimos a Global Forest Watch (<a href="http://www.globalforestwatch.org" target="_blank" rel="noopener noreferrer">GFW</a>), una plataforma interactiva que puede ser usada como herramienta por los actores para medir y monitorear su progreso en sus proyectos.

Empezamos nuestro proyecto de monitoreo en la <a href="http://whc.unesco.org/en/list/1061" target="_blank" rel="noopener noreferrer">Reserva Biológica de Calakmul</a> porque es una de las reservas más grandes y mejor protegidas en México; recientemente fue incluida en la Lista de Lugares Patrimonio Mundial de la UNESCO. Durante la primera etapa del proyecto, nos enfocamos en la recolección de datos relevantes a la conservación, gestión sostenible, mitigación al cambio climático, y el bienestar de las comunidades. Recogimos datos de base sobre indicadores ambientales, incluyendo, el cambio en la cubierta forestal, causas de la deforestación, identificación de hábitats de prioridad y un análisis de la biodiversidad. También recolectamos información sobre indicadores sociales y políticos como proyectos de ley que tienen un impacto en la región y/o en el bienestar de las comunidades. Además, coordinamos dos talleres en conjunto con 32 ejidos en la reserva, para obtener más información sobre la heterogeneidad cultural y política de las comunidades.

En la segunda etapa, combinamos nuestros datos con los datos ya disponibles en la plataforma de GFW. Luego, usamos MapBuilder para crear un sistema integrado para monitorear la biodiversidad, los sumideros de carbono, y el impacto del proyecto en los medios de subsistencia locales. Con ARCGis Online pudimos importar nuestros mapas de MapBuilder a nuestro sitio web, <a href="http://surverde.org/worksites/" target="_blank" rel="noopener noreferrer">surverde.org</a>, haciéndolos accesibles a políticos y al público. La posibilidad de importar los mapas directamente a nuestro sitio web hace que las partes interesadas puedan ver el impacto social y ambiental que Sur Verde está teniendo en la región.

Ya que el gobierno de Campeche comparte nuestro objetivo de desarrollar un sistema de monitoreo, organizamos un taller en el cual las autoridades aprendieron cómo funciona GFW y como se pueden aplicar a su trabajo. El gobierno ya está usando GFW para monitorear la deforestación, con énfasis en áreas donde no se han autorizado permisos de tala y habitan animales en peligro de extinción como los tapires, jaguares, y pecaríes.
<div class="imagecenter"><img class=" wp-image-3569 alignright" style="padding-bottom: 10px;" src="https://content.globalforestwatch.org/wp-content/uploads/2018/09/SurVerde-map.png" alt="Surverde map" width="100%" />La sistema de monitoreo de Sur Verde.</div>
Con nuestro sistema de monitoreo estabilizado hemos empezado a usar la plataforma de GFW para identificar comunidades que pueden estar interesadas en un proyecto de restauración.  Combinamos los datos de GFW sobre tenencia de tierra de las comunidades con datos del gobierno de México sobre áreas con potencial de restauración.  Así, identificamos comunidades dentro y alrededor de la reserva, las cuales serán consultadas si quieren participar en nuestro proyecto. Aprovechando que el gobierno electo anunció un plan de reforestación de un millón de hectáreas, esperamos continuar utilizando GFW para identificar aún más comunidades que se pueden beneficiar de este proyecto nacional.

Sur Verde trabaja en la intersección del bienestar humano y la conservación medioambiental. Nuestro objetivo es continuar buscando formas de magnificar nuestro impacto utilizando datos libres y tecnologías modernas.

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BANNER PHOTO: <a href="http://surverde.org/" target="_blank" rel="noopener noreferrer">Sur Verde</a>.

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PARTNER POST: Sur Verde y el Monitoreo Adaptativo para Mitigación y Adaptación en Calakmul usando GFW

The Reforestamos Mexico GFW Contest recently recognized Sur Verde’s innovative use of the Global Forest Watch platform in finding solutions to

PARTNER POST: Sur Verde Adaptive Monitoring: Mitigation and Adaptation in Calakmul, Campeche | Global Forest Watch Blog

<p><em>The Reforestamos Mexico GFW Contest recently recognized PAOT’s innovative use of the Global Forest Watch platform as a first-place winner in the “public policy analysis” category. Learn more about the </em><a href="http://www.reforestamosmexico.org/copia-de-aguacate" target="_blank" rel="noopener noreferrer"><em>contest here</em></a><em>. </em></p>
<p>Mexico’s capital, Mexico City, is one of the largest and most populous areas in the Western Hemisphere, spanning almost 150,000 hectares and is home to nearly 8.9 million residents. Mexico City is also situated in the center of the Trans-Mexican Volcanic Belt, a forested region which <a href="https://www.worldwildlife.org/ecoregions/nt0310" target="_blank" rel="noopener noreferrer">connects the Sierra Madre Occidental and Sierra Madre Oriental</a>. This is a crucial biodiversity hotspot for species from both the eastern and western regions of the country. With over 100 endemic species. The area is considered “mega-diverse” and is home to two percent of the entire world’s biodiversity.</p>
<p>Recognizing the area’s importance, the government has designated approximately 59 percent of Mexico City’s land as “Forest Conservation Land.” This designation is based on the land’s ecological characteristics, the environmental services it provides and the necessity of maintaining the land to ensure inhabitants’ quality of life. As the image below demonstrates, the Forest Conservation Land is located primarily within the south and southwest regions of Mexico City; however, the land is critical to the city’s entire population as it recharges Mexico City’s aquifer and provides <a href="http://centro.paot.org.mx/documentos/paot/estudios/Atlas_Version_final.pdf" target="_blank" rel="noopener noreferrer">approximately 70 percent of the water consumed</a>.</p>
<div class="imageright"><img decoding="async" class=" wp-image-3569 alignright" style="padding-bottom: 5px;" src="https://content.globalforestwatch.org/wp-content/uploads/2018/09/suelo-de-conservation.png" alt="" width="100%">PAOT Map</div>
<h3>Forest deterioration and biodiversity loss</h3>
<p>Unfortunately, the Forest Conservation Land is experiencing forest loss due to a range of issues from clandestine logging and the presence of livestock to forest fires and pests. Forest fragmentation, overexploitation of aquifers, vegetation cover reduction, alteration of the hydrological cycle of the basin, microclimate modification and soil contamination are all consequences of forest deterioration. This type of degradation impacts environmental services like the city’s aquifer and threatens both the biodiversity of the land and the identity of rural villages living in the area.</p>
<h3>The role of open data</h3>
<p>Procuraduría Ambiental y del Ordenamiento Territorial de la Ciudad de Mexico (the Environment and Land Management Law Enforcement Agency in Mexico City), known as PAOT, promotes and monitors compliance on environmental matters and land use planning, including within the Forest Conservation Land. PAOT recognizes that reliable data about what’s happening in these areas is the first step to addressing the problems affecting the area.</p>
<p>PAOT is working to fill information gaps to help ensure that policies designed to protect the land are effective and that environmental authorities have the information they need to evaluate policy results. With limited time and resources, monitoring the nearly 87,300 hectares of Forest Conservation Land is time consuming, complicated and often not an option due to budgetary restrictions. However, with Global Forest Watch’s open data, the PAOT team can easily use, modify and generate new information from the platform without an associated cost.</p>
<p>Geospatial monitoring tools like GFW are critical for PAOT to verify the status of resources, the effectiveness of government policies and the success of these policies. With information and analyses gathered from geospatial monitoring, PAOT can provide solid technical data to inform decision making. Beyond this, PAOT can make sure this information is not only used and processed internally but also made available to all citizens and stakeholders.</p>
<div class="imagecenter"><img decoding="async" class=" wp-image-3569 alignright" style="padding-bottom: 10px;" src="https://content.globalforestwatch.org/wp-content/uploads/2018/09/GFW-map.png" alt="gfw map" width="100%">PAOT’s map created using GFW.</div>
<h3>Integrating GFW and Mexico City’s monitoring systems</h3>
<p>PAOT intends to incorporate GFW data into the agency’s existing monitoring system to ensure compliance with environmental and urban regulations in Mexico City’s Forest Conservation Land.&nbsp; GFW´s data represents an opportunity to bolster the PAOT monitoring system to help generate a decision-making and policy implementation platform for various other authorities also working within the Forest Conservation Land.</p>
<p><div style="width: 1440px;" class="wp-video">
<video class="wp-video-shortcode" id="video-6582-1" width="1440" height="1080" preload="metadata" controls="controls"><source type="video/mp4" src="https://content.globalforestwatch.org/wp-content/uploads/2018/09/Video-GFW-gabriela-1_1.mp4?_=1" /><a href="https://content.globalforestwatch.org/wp-content/uploads/2018/09/Video-GFW-gabriela-1_1.mp4">https://content.globalforestwatch.org/wp-content/uploads/2018/09/Video-GFW-gabriela-1_1.mp4</a></video></div></p>
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<p>BANNER PHOTO: Mexico City <a href="https://www.flickr.com/photos/16189770@N00/2254327886" target="_blank" rel="noopener noreferrer">Enrique Dans/Flickr</a>.</p>
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PARTNER POST: The Importance of Open Data for Conservation in Mexico City

<em>The Reforestamos Mexico GFW Contest recently recognized PAOT’s innovative use of the Global Forest Watch platform as a first-place winner in the “public policy analysis” category. Learn more about the </em><a href="http://www.reforestamosmexico.org/copia-de-aguacate" target="_blank" rel="noopener noreferrer"><em>contest here</em></a><em>. </em>

Mexico’s capital, Mexico City, is one of the largest and most populous areas in the Western Hemisphere, spanning almost 150,000 hectares and is home to nearly 8.9 million residents. Mexico City is also situated in the center of the Trans-Mexican Volcanic Belt, a forested region which <a href="https://www.worldwildlife.org/ecoregions/nt0310" target="_blank" rel="noopener noreferrer">connects the Sierra Madre Occidental and Sierra Madre Oriental</a>. This is a crucial biodiversity hotspot for species from both the eastern and western regions of the country. With over 100 endemic species. The area is considered “mega-diverse” and is home to two percent of the entire world’s biodiversity.

Recognizing the area’s importance, the government has designated approximately 59 percent of Mexico City’s land as “Forest Conservation Land.” This designation is based on the land’s ecological characteristics, the environmental services it provides and the necessity of maintaining the land to ensure inhabitants’ quality of life. As the image below demonstrates, the Forest Conservation Land is located primarily within the south and southwest regions of Mexico City; however, the land is critical to the city’s entire population as it recharges Mexico City’s aquifer and provides <a href="http://centro.paot.org.mx/documentos/paot/estudios/Atlas_Version_final.pdf" target="_blank" rel="noopener noreferrer">approximately 70 percent of the water consumed</a>.
<div class="imageright"><img class=" wp-image-3569 alignright" style="padding-bottom: 5px;" src="https://content.globalforestwatch.org/wp-content/uploads/2018/09/suelo-de-conservation.png" alt="" width="100%">PAOT Map</div>
<h3>Forest deterioration and biodiversity loss</h3>
Unfortunately, the Forest Conservation Land is experiencing forest loss due to a range of issues from clandestine logging and the presence of livestock to forest fires and pests. Forest fragmentation, overexploitation of aquifers, vegetation cover reduction, alteration of the hydrological cycle of the basin, microclimate modification and soil contamination are all consequences of forest deterioration. This type of degradation impacts environmental services like the city’s aquifer and threatens both the biodiversity of the land and the identity of rural villages living in the area.
<h3>The role of open data</h3>
Procuraduría Ambiental y del Ordenamiento Territorial de la Ciudad de Mexico (the Environment and Land Management Law Enforcement Agency in Mexico City), known as PAOT, promotes and monitors compliance on environmental matters and land use planning, including within the Forest Conservation Land. PAOT recognizes that reliable data about what’s happening in these areas is the first step to addressing the problems affecting the area.

PAOT is working to fill information gaps to help ensure that policies designed to protect the land are effective and that environmental authorities have the information they need to evaluate policy results. With limited time and resources, monitoring the nearly 87,300 hectares of Forest Conservation Land is time consuming, complicated and often not an option due to budgetary restrictions. However, with Global Forest Watch’s open data, the PAOT team can easily use, modify and generate new information from the platform without an associated cost.

Geospatial monitoring tools like GFW are critical for PAOT to verify the status of resources, the effectiveness of government policies and the success of these policies. With information and analyses gathered from geospatial monitoring, PAOT can provide solid technical data to inform decision making. Beyond this, PAOT can make sure this information is not only used and processed internally but also made available to all citizens and stakeholders.
<div class="imagecenter"><img class=" wp-image-3569 alignright" style="padding-bottom: 10px;" src="https://content.globalforestwatch.org/wp-content/uploads/2018/09/GFW-map.png" alt="gfw map" width="100%">PAOT's map created using GFW.</div>
<h3>Integrating GFW and Mexico City’s monitoring systems</h3>
PAOT intends to incorporate GFW data into the agency’s existing monitoring system to ensure compliance with environmental and urban regulations in Mexico City’s Forest Conservation Land.&nbsp; GFW´s data represents an opportunity to bolster the PAOT monitoring system to help generate a decision-making and policy implementation platform for various other authorities also working within the Forest Conservation Land.

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BANNER PHOTO: Mexico City <a href="https://www.flickr.com/photos/16189770@N00/2254327886" target="_blank" rel="noopener noreferrer">Enrique Dans/Flickr</a>.

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El Certámen GFW, organizado por Reforestamos Mexico en 2017, reconoció a la Procuraduría Ambiental y del Ordenamiento Territorial de la Ciudad de México (PAOT) como ganadora del primer lugar en la categoría de "Análisis de Políticas Públicas" por el uso innovador de la plataforma Global Forest Watch (GFW). Para saber más sobre el<a href="http://www.reforestamosmexico.org/copia-de-aguacate" target="_blank" rel="noopener noreferrer"> Certámen de clic aquí</a>.

La Ciudad de México (CDMX), capital de país y una de las áreas más pobladas del hemisferio occidental, abarca cerca de 150,000 hectáreas y tiene casi 8.9 millones de habitantes. La CDMX se encuentra en el centro del Eje Neovolcánico Transversal, una región boscosa que <a href="https://www.worldwildlife.org/ecoregions/nt0310" target="_blank" rel="noopener noreferrer">conecta la Sierra Madre Occidental y la Sierra Madre Oriental</a> y que es clave para las especies de ambas regiones del país. Con más de 100 especies endémicas su territorio se considera megadiverso y alberga aproximadamente, de manera sorprendente, el dos por ciento (2 %) de la biodiversidad del planeta.

Reconociendo la importancia del área, el gobierno designó aproximadamente el 59% del territorio de la Ciudad de México como Suelo de Conservación. Esta designación se basa en las características ecosistémicas, los servicios ambientales que brinda y la necesidad de mantener el suelo para asegurar la calidad de vida de sus habitantes. Como lo muestra la siguiente imagen, el Suelo de Conservación se ubica principalmente en las regiones sur y suroeste de la Ciudad de México. Sin embargo, el área es crítica para toda la población de la Ciudad de México ya que recarga el acuífero que proporciona <a href="http://centro.paot.org.mx/documentos/paot/estudios/Atlas_Version_final.pdf" target="_blank" rel="noopener noreferrer">aproximadamente el setenta por ciento (70 %) del agua consumida.</a>
<div class="imageright"><img class=" wp-image-3569 alignright" style="padding-bottom: 5px;" src="https://content.globalforestwatch.org/wp-content/uploads/2018/09/suelo-de-conservation.png" alt="" width="100%">PAOT Map</div>
<h3>Deterioro forestal y pérdida de biodiversidad</h3>
Desafortunadamente, el Suelo de Conservación está experimentando pérdida de bosques debido a una serie de problemas graves tales como la tala clandestina, la presencia de ganado, incendios forestales y plagas. Estos problemas a su vez desencadenan terribles consecuencias entre ellas las más notables: la fragmentación de los bosques, la sobreexplotación de los acuíferos, la reducción de la cubierta vegetal, la alteración del ciclo hidrológico de la cuenca, la modificación del microclima y la contaminación del suelo. Este tipo de degradación afecta los servicios ambientales como el acuífero de la ciudad y amenaza tanto la biodiversidad como la identidad de los poblados rurales que viven en la zona.
<h3>El rol de los datos abiertos</h3>
La PAOT promueve y monitorea el cumplimiento de las disposiciones jurídicas en temas ambientales y de ordenamiento territorial, incluso dentro del Suelo de Conservación, y reconoce que los datos confiables sobre lo que sucede en esta área son el primer paso para abordar los problemas que la afectan.

La PAOT está trabajando para llenar los vacíos de información con el objetivo de que las políticas diseñadas para proteger la tierra sean efectivas y que las autoridades ambientales tengan la información necesaria para evaluar los resultados de dichas políticas. Con tiempo y recursos limitados, el monitoreo de las casi 87,300 hectáreas del Suelo de Conservación es complicado por el consumo de tiempo y, a menudo, no es una opción debido a restricciones presupuestarias. Sin embargo, gracias a los datos abiertos de Global Forest Watch, el equipo de la PAOT puede usarlos, modificar y generar fácilmente nueva información de la plataforma sin un costo asociado.

Las herramientas de monitoreo geoespacial como GFW son críticas para que la PAOT verifique el estado de los recursos, la efectividad de las políticas gubernamentales y el éxito de estas. Con la información y el análisis recopilados a partir del monitoreo geoespacial, la PAOT puede proporcionar datos técnicos sólidos para informar a los tomadores de decisión. Más allá de esto, PAOT puede asegurar que la información no solo se use y procese internamente, sino que también esté disponible para todos los ciudadanos y actores interesados.
<div class="imagecenter"><img class=" wp-image-3569 alignright" style="padding-bottom: 10px;" src="https://content.globalforestwatch.org/wp-content/uploads/2018/09/GFW-map.png" alt="gfwmap" width="100%"> La mapa de PAOT.</div>
<h3>Integrando los sistemas de monitoreo de GFW y de la Ciudad de México</h3>
La PAOT tiene la intención de incorporar los datos de GFW en el sistema de monitoreo institucional existente para asegurar el cumplimiento de las regulaciones ambientales y urbanas en el Suelo de Conservación de la Ciudad de México. Los datos de GFW representan una oportunidad para reforzar el sistema de monitoreo de la PAOT para ayudar a generar una plataforma de toma de decisiones y de implementación de políticas para otras autoridades que también trabajan en el Suelo de Conservación de la Ciudad de México.

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BANNER PHOTO: Mexico City <a href="https://www.flickr.com/photos/16189770@N00/2254327886" target="_blank" rel="noopener noreferrer">Enrique Dans/Flickr</a>.

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PARTNER POST: La importancia de los datos abiertos para la conservación en la Ciudad de México