Deforestation figures can be frustrating to look at, but there are a number of success stories when it comes to protecting tropical forests that we can learn from, Crystal Davis, global program director at the World Resources Institute, says in a recent Mongabay video.
“We know what works. We know how to do it,” Davis says. “We have more tools than ever to help us combat deforestation.”
One of those tools is Global Forest Watch, an online platform that uses satellite data, artificial intelligence and cloud computing to track where exactly deforestation is happening and where forests are growing back.
Part of the tool is the Forest Watcher app, which allows forest rangers like those working for Madagascar’s National Parks Association to monitor deforestation. The app has led to swifter responses to drivers of deforestation, such as fires, WRI said in a 2024 post.
“Data and transparency of data play an incredibly important role in protecting tropical forests,” Davis says.
In Peru, the Rainforest Foundation US helped train more than 30 communities in using Forest Watcher. Data visualized on Global Forest Watch showed that in the first year alone, the territories of those 30 communities had 50% fewer deforestation alerts compared to another 30 communities that didn’t use the app.
Another map shown in the Mongabay video reveals the critical role of local communities and Indigenous peoples in conservation in the Amazon, with much lower deforestation within their territories than outside.
“You can see that the areas where Indigenous peoples manage the forests are actually protected. But outside those areas, deforestation is often increasing,” Davis says, adding this is a trend in other countries as well.
Playing a critical role for Indigenous peoples is the U.N. Declaration on the Rights of Indigenous Peoples, which protects Indigenous communities’ rights to their land and resources, and to self-determination, Davis says. It also includes provisions for the free, prior and informed consent (FPIC) process, which requires the involvement of communities in consultations about projects that may affect their land and resources.
“We estimate that about 50% of the world’s land is managed by Indigenous peoples and local communities, and that actually includes around a third of the remaining intact tropical forests,” Davis says. “Those are the most pristine and undisturbed forests that hold the most carbon, the most biodiversity.”
While much of Indigenous-managed lands still aren’t legally recognized, an additional 100 million hectares (247 million acres) of such land gained legal recognition since 2015, according to NGO coalition Rights and Resources Initiative.
With better data and technology, Davis says, it will be interesting to see how financing for tropical forest conservation can be increased, especially to support the work of Indigenous peoples and local communities.
Watch the full Mongabay video here.
Banner image of Crystal Davis, global program director at the World Resources Institute. Image © Carmen Hilbert.
This story first appeared on Mongabay
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