Can satellite technology turn the tide against illegal Amazon deforestation?
In short: Tasso Azevedo and his team at MapBiomas are using satellite imagery to create real-time maps of the Amazon. This approach aims to hold illegal actors accountable by making every clear-cut visible, demonstrating that transparency is a powerful tool for forest conservation.
In the Amazon, nearly 20 trees are felled every second, creating a massive challenge for authorities tasked with monitoring millions of acres of land. Traditional methods of tracking illegal clear-cutting have struggled to keep pace with the scale of the destruction.
By transforming satellite data into precise, real-time maps, the MapBiomas project provides a new mechanism for oversight. This initiative, presented at the TED Countdown Summit on June 18, 2025, is part of The Audacious Project, which seeks to fund and scale solutions for global environmental change.
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Sources
- Summary by Intellect · source: How to See (and Stop) Deforestation from Space | Tasso Azevedo | TED
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