Monitor your forest projects every day

For forest owners worldwide, storm damage is second only to fire in terms of risk, based on severity and frequency of occurrence.

Catastrophic damage to forests caused by wind is referred to as “windthrow”. When and where windthrow happens is not easy to predict, as it is influenced by many factors, not just the speed of the wind. It is therefore vital to collect information on where windthrow has occurred after an event so that the timber can be salvaged and impacts on the timber market can be mitigated.

Following Storm Arwen 2021, Earth Blox teamed up with Capella Space and the University of Edinburgh to see if satellite radar could support efforts to map where the forest damage occurred.

Forests are a critical part of Earth’s ecosystem and must be protected. They play a key role in mitigating climate change by absorbing carbon dioxide from the atmosphere and storing it; tropical forests alone hold around 250 gigatons of carbon, more than seven times the amount emitted each year by human activities.

However, as well as protecting the planet from the worst effects of climate change, over a billion people rely on forests for shelter, livelihoods, water, fuel, and food. They are also home to around 80% of our land-based animal species.
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Deforestation disrupts the lives of both humans and animals, and is a serious threat to the health of the Earth.

Using Google Earth Engine datasets, Earth Blox’s intuitive, easy-to-use interface puts globally-focused, always-on satellite data at your fingertips, so you can continue to lead the fight against illegal and dangerous deforestation.