Based on previous reports (e.g. MAAP #188), the Peruvian Amazon is facing massive deforestation by Mennonite colonies. Our latest publication from MAAP #192 demonstrates through very high-resolution satellite imagery (0.5 meters from Planet’s Skysat fleet) that these Mennonite colonies (Chipiar, Providencia, and Vanderland), located in the regions of Loreto and Ucayali, caused the large scale […]
In this ongoing series, we describe major new projects that may lead to the rapid deforestation of large areas of primary Amazon forest. The first report (MAAP #84) described the deforestation associated with the construction of the Yurimaguas – Jeberos road (see Base Map), which crosses extensive primary forest and a priority site for conservation in the Loreto […]
Ten years ago today, Amazon Conservation launched our novel Monitoring of the Andes Amazon Program (MAAP), a satellite-based monitoring program that began as a tool to pinpoint the most urgent cases of deforestations and fires and has evolved into a game-changing tool for governments, local people, media, civil society, policymakers, and the general public to […]
In previous reports (MAAP #182, MAAP #219), evidence has shown that mining activities have increased in the Ecuadorian Amazon, drastically affecting protected areas and Indigenous territories. Now, our newest report from MAAP, MAAP #221, provides an in-depth analysis of four protected areas in the Ecuadorian Amazon that are currently threatened by mining activities. Utilizing high-resolution satellite imagery, this […]
Agriculture has become one of the leading causes of deforestation across the Amazon. As MAAP has continued to closely monitor its impacts, a burst of new data and online visualization tools are revealing key land use patterns across the Amazon, particularly regarding the critical topic of agriculture. MAAP #214, merges and analyzes these new […]
Gold Mining is one of the major deforestation drivers across the Amazon, often targeting remote areas such as protected areas and indigenous territories. Given the vastness of the Amazon, accurately monitoring mining deforestation in the most real-time, up-to-date format has been a challenge. To help better analyze deforestation patterns, our latest MAAP report, MAAP #212, […]
In 2019, the Peruvian government launched Operation Mercury to confront the illegal gold mining crisis in the southern Amazonian area known as La Pampa (Madre de Dios region).As a result, deforestation decreased 90% in this critical area (MAAP# 130). Some illegal gold mining, however, has moved to several new hotspots (Image 1), although at much lower levels. The […]
This report demonstrates the powerful application of freely available, high-resolution satellite imagery recently made possible thanks to an agreement between the Government of Norway and several satellite companies.* This unprecedented agreement will bring commercial satellite technology, previously out of reach to many, to all working in tropical forest conservation around the world. Here we show how MAAP (an initiative of […]
Following the intense Amazon fire season of 2019 that made international headlines, here we report another major fire year in 2020. Using our novel real-time Amazon Fires Monitoring app,* we documented over 2,500 major fires across the Amazon in 2020 (see Base Map). Of these, 88% (2,192 major fires) were in the Brazilian Amazon. The other 8% (205 fires) and 4% (88 fires) were in […]
The Mennonites, a religious group often associated with organized agricultural activity, have started three new colonies in the Peruvian Amazon. We have documented the deforestation of 8,500 acres (3,440 hectares) in these three colonies over the past four years (updated October 2020). The deforestation started in 2017, but continues to be active in 2020 (with 1,900 acres lost, 25% of the total). Notably, this […]
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