The aim of this project is to research a technology-based solution that would help address the problem of deforestation. The problem is deforestation, which is especially concerning in tropical rainforests. Technology can help address deforestation by tracking the areas where trees are destroyed. The different solutions include using satellite images, surveillance, maps, and computer algorithms. The most effective solution is surveillance and satellite imagery because they can be employed globally. Deforestation can be addressed through the use of surveillance and satellite technology that allows tracking of areas where deforestation has begun.
Forests are an important part of the Earth’s ecosystem, and their destruction can lead to serious consequences. According to WWF, forests occupy 31 percent of the planet’s surface. The benefits of forests include filtering water and air and providing jobs. WWF’s estimations show that 13.2 million people worldwide work in the forest industry and another 41 million work in a related field. Moreover, many animals need forests to survive as they live and obtain food there. More than three-quarters of the world’s land life is found in forests (WWF). Thus, there are multiple benefits of forests, and deforestation can affect people, animals, and the climate.
Prior to addressing the technological solution to the problems with forests, it is important to review the definition of this occurrence, which will help understand why the deforestation problem needs to be solved. Greenfield provides one definition of deforestation, which states that it is the human-caused conversion of a forest to another land use, such as cattle ranching or soya bean agriculture. This transformation is commonly done with machines, and the wood is subsequently burned. Hence, deforestation differs from the removal of trees, as with logging, trees can be deliberately removed from a standing forest. For generations, deforestation has been linked with population growth (Greenfield). Hence, human activities are the main cause of deforestation which has already resulted in a plethora of damage.
There are several ways of battling deforestation with technology, and there are some successful examples of these strategies. This would require the companies to use advanced technologies and innovation to make these supply chains more effective and less reliant on forests and other natural resources. Currently, there is no unified approach that states across the world would use to address deforestation, hence, different technologies are employed.
The scope of this research is the applicability of surveillance and algorithms to address deforestation. Visuals can be included to demonstrate the satellite images of the forests. The sources used are reliable since these are non-profit organizations and news sources. Technology solutions provide the opportunity to counteract deforestation, such as surveillance and satellites. For example, in the late 2000s and early 2010s, Brazil made significant progress in decreasing deforestation in the Amazon (Greenfield). This was achieved through environmental legislation and surveillance. This technology simply makes photos of the area where the forests are located. However, this technology is not a preventative one, and there is a challenge in creating an algorithm that would allow identifying the areas of potential deforestation.
Organizations such as NASA have supported and invested in the use of satellites to address the deforestation problem. NASA notes that during the 1990s and early 2000s, the Brazilian rainforest lost more than 8,000 square miles every year, an area about the size of New Jersey. This was because the government did not have bans on land use, and there were no surveillance systems to stop the citizens from destroying the forests.
The government of Brazil established protected lands for indigenous communities, increased environmental enforcement organizations, and reinforced satellite monitoring systems, which allowed to curb the of deforestation rates. Within a few years, large-scale deforestation has decreased by 50% (NASA). By 2012, forest destruction has decreased by 80%, or 1,900 square miles every year (NASA). The reversal was hailed as one of the most remarkable environmental success stories in history. Satellite-based forest monitoring systems are critical in addressing deforestation. This proves that technology plays a major role in addressing this environmental concern.
NPR describes another initiative, which resembles Google Maps. Computers sift through a flow of satellite photos using techniques developed by scientists. When the program identifies a change, which is when trees appear to have vanished from a certain location since the satellite last looked at them, the algorithm sends out an alarm (NPR). Each location on the planet is monitored by the satellite around once a week. This automated tracking makes it much easier for the scientists and people who work on combatting global deforestation to address this concern because they do not have to look through millions of satellite photos manually.
The use of technology can be combined with cooperation with local communities. According to McGrath, technology can assist indigenous tribes in drastically reducing deforestation. This approach was tested in Peru’s Amazon forests, where conservation groups sent satellite data and smartphones to indigenous peoples. In the first year of the initiative, they were able to cut tree losses in half (McGrath). Reductions were more pronounced in areas threatened by illicit gold mining, forestry, and narcotics.
Still, despite many initiatives and technologies being applied, the rates of deforestation continue to be a concern. This is one of the major limitations of the proposed technology, as currently, it cannot be scaled to create a global anti-deforestation program. Almost all of the temperate rainforest that originally covered huge sections of the British Isles has been removed for farmland, roads, and human settlements, among other things (Greenfield). The satellite technology is based on the surveillance concept, where satellite images from different periods are compared. However, this is not a preventative technology, which is its main drawback. Thus, the biggest limitation of the technology used is that while it can help effectively address the new cases of deforestation, the proposed solution will not help repopulate the forests that were already destroyed.
In summary, this paper describes the issue of deforestation and ways to apply technology to combat this problem. Deforestation is a serious problem because forests account for 31% of the Earth’s land. Many animals live in forests and obtain their food there, and millions of people work in the forest industry worldwide. Moreover, deforestation creates a greater climate change risk as forests act as a sink for carbon dioxide. Based on the research from this paper, the most effective technology solution to combat deforestation is the use of satellites and algorithms that can track changes in the area’s environment. Future research can focus on the development of artificial intelligence algorithms that will help find affected forests faster.
Work Cited
Greenfield, Patrick. “What is Deforestation – And is Stopping it Really Possible?” The Guardian, 2021, Web.
McGrath, Matt. “Climate Change: Technology Boosts Efforts To Curb Tree Loss In Amazon.” BBC News, 2022, Web.
NASA. “World Wildlife Fund (WWF). “Deforestation And Forest Degradation”. World Wildlife Fund, Web.
NPR. “Pillagers Of Tropical Forests Can’t Hide Behind Clouds Anymore.” NPR, Web.
World Wildlife Fund (WWF). “Deforestation and Forest Degradation.” World Wildlife Fund, 2022, Web.