Real-Time Satellite Information and Images of What is Happening in the Amazon

August 23, 2019

Following up on the current fires in the Amazon forests of Brazil, Bolivia, and Peru, we want to share with you our latest analysis of the situation. Please see today’s MAAP report, which provides real-time satellite data of the region and shows up-close satellite images of what the fires actually look like across all three countries, and how they are impacting Amazonian forests.

Continuous uncontrolled fires of this scale will bring the forest closer to an irreversible tipping point – a degree of deforestation at which the Amazon basin will no longer be able to generate its own rainfall and will become a fire-prone savanna. Some estimates place the level of deforestation needed to reach this tipping point at 20-25%. Current deforestation is at 17%.

That’s why our forest conservation efforts focus on prevention. We partner with local communities and landowners to develop and implement sustainable practices for forests and agricultural lands that reduce deforestation and build resilience against fires. We also work with national and municipal governments in Peru and Bolivia to ensure the protection of conservation areas that help keep us from reaching that tipping point.

In response to the current fires, we are collaborating with actors on the ground in Peru and Bolivia to generate reliable information to implement actions that will help local organizations and residents of the affected areas. Although we do not work on the ground in Brazil, our deforestation reports are available to the Brazilian government and public.

Read our latest MAAP report.