Near real - time deforestation detection for enforcement of forest reserves in Mato Grosso

We have developed a near-real time deforestation monitoring system, named SAD (Sistema de Alerta de Desmatamento) to monitor the Brazilian Amazon states. Here, we present how SAD works and has been used to monitor deforestation in different types of forest reserves in the State of Mato Grosso, and the potential use of this information to stop illegal deforestation in these reserves. The types of forest reserves we have been monitoring are located in Protected Areas (i.e., Indigenous Lands, Conservation Units), agrarian settlements, private lands registered to the state government licensing system and in unclaimed public land. A total of 22,700 square kilometers of forest conversion by deforestation was detected wit SAD from August 2004 to January 2009 in Mato Grosso State. Of this total amount 60% (13,670 square kilometers) were detected in the Amazon Biome, and the remaining 40% (9,000 square kilometers) in transitional forest types. We estimated that 85% of the total deforestation detected with SAD from August 2004 to July 2008 classified as illegal. This information is being widely disseminated to authorities and general society, through the media, to support law enforcement of illegal deforestation which has been the weak component of the chain put in place to implement the forestry code to protected private and governmental forest reserves. As a result of our Forest Transparency initiative – that combines near-real time detection of deforestation with strategic dissemination of the information – the debate about deforestation has been kept alive each month by media. This puts positive pressure on the states and federal governments to act against illegal deforestation in the region.