MAAP: Near-Real Time Deforestation Monitoring Aids Intervention in Illegal Gold Mining

February 21, 2016

In April 2015, ACA launched a cutting-edge near real-time deforestation monitoring system for the Andean Amazon known as MAAP (maaproject.org). MAAP analyzes high resolution satellite imagery to make precise and timely deforestation information available to the policy makers and the public. Over the past year, 25 deforestation case studies have been published on the MAAP portal, on important topics including illegal mining, oil palm plantation expansion, and the importance of protected areas.

Most recently, we documented an illegal gold mining invasion of an important protected area in the southern Peruvian Amazon (Tambopata National Reserve). Peruvian officials used this information to plan an intervention against the illegal mining activity.