- Global Forest Watch is now mobile-optimized.
- The new site enables users to ground-truth satellite data and report incidents of deforestation.
- GFW mobile also facilitates sharing via social media.
Global Forest Watch, a platform that maps a wide range of forest data, is now optimized for mobile users, potentially extending the tool for ground-based forest monitoring and deforestation detection.
In a blog post put up last week, World Resources Institute (WRI) announced several new features tied to the mobile-friendly version of Global Forest Watch, including a “find out what’s happening in a forest near you” function that provides users with forest data geo-located to their current position; a crowd-sourced story capability; a mobile deforestation alert system; and a social sharing feature.
“Global Forest Watch (GFW) enables anyone with a computer and an internet connection to access the best available forest information,” said the blog post. “But in today’s increasingly mobilized world, people are using smartphones and tablets to connect on-the-go, and we want GFW to go with them. That’s why we have fully optimized the GFW website for your mobile device, putting the most up-to-date information on forests in the palm of your hand.”
WRI hopes the mobilize-optimized version of Global Forest Watch will spur more people to participate in forest monitoring, including reporting incidents of deforestation and ground-truthing satellite data.
“GFW User Stories aim to create a more complete picture of forest change by linking narratives from people on the ground to data on the map,” said WRI. “Whether it’s about illegal activity, threats or conflict in an area, forest conservation or management successes, ground-truthing remotely sensed data, or local expertise, the SUBMIT A STORY button on the homepage makes it easy for you to share your knowledge.”
You can access Global Forest Watch mobile version by visiting globalforestwatch.org with your smartphone.
Disclosure: WRI is a wildtech.mongabay.com partner and a funder of the Global Forest Reporting Network initiative on Mongabay.com. However WRI had no editorial influence on this post being published.