Support to REDD Program in Latin America
 The forest in Latin America accounts for 21% of the total forest area in the world. At the same time deforestation and forest degradation in the region are on the rise. It has been estimated that the most pressing environmental problems are related to the expansion of both agricultural commodities production and infrastructure development. While investing in large infrastructure projects, especially roads, leads to improved communication and stimulates economic growth, there is a need to provide better assessment and identify cases where infrastructure development may affect important forested areas. An example is the impact of agriculture commodities production on deforestation in Argentina. Agriculture fields are easily identifiable through their rectangular structure and the changed land cover from forest to low vegetation. Especially in this service region, deforested areas are always accompanied by development of roads/tracks. Conversely, newly detected roads/tracks can act as indicator of future deforestation. Detailed land use and forest maps provided for locations in Chile and Argentina will be used in: assessing and locating areas where deforestation or forest degradation is taking place because of infrastructure development; evaluating the direct and indirect impact of infrastructure development on forests, including degradation; providing information as a source for an informed forestry dialogue that supports the improvement of national forest policies. |
Technical Officer: Gordon Campbell |
Starting Date: 2014-06-01 |
Suppliers: GAF AG as supplier - prime |
Users: World Bank as user - partner/collaborator |
Services: clear cuts and burnt area mapping (Forestry) forest type mapping (Forestry) general land use and land cover mapping and change monitoring (Basic Mapping and Cartography) forest type mapping (Forestry) clear cuts and burnt area mapping (Forestry) general land use and land cover mapping and change monitoring (Basic Mapping and Cartography) |
