The impact of near-real-time deforestation alerts across the tropics

Fanny Moffette (), Jennifer Alix-Garcia, Katherine Shea and Amy H. Pickens
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Fanny Moffette: University of Wisconsin-Madison
Jennifer Alix-Garcia: Oregon State University
Katherine Shea: World Resources Institute
Amy H. Pickens: University of Maryland

Nature Climate Change, 2021, vol. 11, issue 2, 172-178

Abstract: Abstract Reducing deforestation to mitigate climate change necessitates monitoring of deforestation activity. However, while freely available deforestation alerts on forest loss are available, the effect of these alerts and the presence of subscribers in a particular area is unclear. Here, we show that subscriptions to alerts in 22 tropical countries decrease the probability of deforestation in Africa by 18% relative to the average 2011–2016 levels. There is no effect on other continents, and the availability of alerts does not significantly change deforestation outcomes. This decrease in Africa is higher in protected areas and concessions, suggesting that alerts either increased capacity to enforce existing deforestation policy or induced the development of more effective anti-deforestation policies. Calculated using the social cost of carbon for avoided deforestation in Africa, we estimate the alert system’s value to be between US$149 million and US$696 million.

Date: 2021
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DOI: 10.1038/s41558-020-00956-w

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