From 2000 to 2010, deforestation of native tropical forests in Ecuador was five times greater than reforestation figures, according to data from the Global Forest Observatory.
With this new online tool, the result of combining Google technology with the work of NASA satellites, it is possible to track the process of deforestation around the world in almost real time.
With the help of this platform, it is possible to identify deforested areas, by year, from a timeline located at the bottom of the page. It is also possible to see which areas have been completely lost and which have been recovered.
The app, funded by more than 40 environmental groups, is updated monthly with new information to help ensure companies comply with their forest-related commitments in their activities.
It also aims to help governments design smarter policies, detect areas of illegal deforestation and manage their forest resources more sustainably.
According to data from the University of Maryland (USA) and Google, the planet has lost 2.3 million square kilometers over the last 12 years, with the countries with the highest incidence being: Russia, Brazil, Canada, the United States and Indonesia.
The website provides data for Ecuador on deforestation from 2000 to 2012 of just over 520,000 hectares, contrasting with the barely 100,000 hectares of tropical forest area gain, with the areas of greatest deforestation being notable in the northwestern (Esmeraldas) and northeastern (Sucumbíos) areas. These and other data (in English) on all countries in the world can be found on the website of the Observatory for Ecuador.
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