Operational Deforestation Detection and Early Warning Using L-band SAR

The international community is envisioning a large and indispensable role of forests in limiting the effects of climate change. There are two principal ways in which forest-based reduction of atmospheric carbon dioxide (CO2) can be achieved: i) increased CO2 sequestration by forest growth or ii) decreased CO2 release from deforestation. While significant attention has been given to reforestation as a natural climate solution, protecting existing forest carbon stocks is widely considered to be the more effective approach. This webinar focuses on a unique tool to combat deforestation in the Amazon rainforest based on long-term observation by Japan’s 3rd generation L-band SAR aboard the Advanced Land Observing Satellite 2 (ALOS-2), namely the JICA-JAXA Forest Early Warning System in the Tropics (JJ-FAST). Recent groundbreaking advances have rendered the JJ-FAST into an effective, scientifically-proven, and broadly relevant intervention opportunity to reduce large-scale forest biomass losses. The unmatched, fully-automatic deforestation detection accuracy achieved with the next-generation algorithm employed in JJ-FAST Ver. 4 is continuously validated by comparison with high-resolution optical satellite data whenever cloud-free images are available. A recent field survey carried out in the Brazilian state of Pará in June 2024 confirmed an operational user’s and producer’s accuracy of 73% and 80%, respectively. Webinar participants will not only learn how, but also why, state-of-the-art polarimetric L-band SAR has unique capacity for near-real time deforestation detection and early warning. With a number of planned L-band SAR EO satellites around the world, we will show that all future forest monitoring missions can build upon the accomplishments of the ALOS-2 long-term pantropical observation mission.