Studying deforestation with GOOGLE EARTH PRO

In the time it takes to say ‘deforestation’, another chunk of forest the size of a football pitch is destroyed.

Deforestation is the purposeful clearing of forested land. Throughout history and into modern times, forests have been razed to make space for agriculture and animal grazing, and to obtain wood for fuel, manufacturing, and construction. Today, the greatest amount of deforestation is occurring in tropical rainforests. (National Geographic, 2022)

Forests are vital for the health of our planet. They provide food and shelter for so much of life on Earth – from fungi and insects to tigers and elephants. More than half the world's land-based plants and animals, and three-quarters of all birds, live in and around forests. Forests have a big influence on rainfall patterns, water and soil quality and flood prevention too. Millions of people rely directly on forests as their home or for making a living. But the risks from deforestation go even wider; trees absorb and store carbon dioxide. If forests are cleared, or even disturbed, they release carbon dioxide and other greenhouse gases. (WWF, 2022)

Deforestation can be observed from satellite images, e.g. in Google Earth, by using historical images and comparing them to more recent ones. In this workshop students are divided into small groups, in which they get to try in practice how deforestation can be observed online and if reasons behind it can be found in satellite images too. The students will get familiar with the concept of forest loss in different countries, using a geographic information system and interpreting satellite imagery.