Global Forest Watch

The 2015 application period is now closed.

Learn about the 2014 recipients

Perkumpulan Rincong (Indonesia). Perkumpulan Rincong’s project aimed to enable forest-dependent communities around the Ulu Masen Forest in Aceh, Indonesia to establish and monitor sustainable management of their customary forest through improved capacity to utilize GFW as a tool for understanding, protecting and promoting their natural resources. The project involved training indigenous forest rangers on how to target their patrols using GFW data, creating a forest management plan.

GERES (Cambodia). GERES partnered with Mlup Baitong in Cambodia to estimate the relative impacts of charcoal production on deforestation in the Northern Cardamoms forest while also developing a participatory methodology combining GIS data from the GFW website, surveys and participatory workshops. GERES staff and partners concluded that the impact of charcoal production on forests is highly connected with landscape changes and cannot be isolated from the impact of agriculture and other drivers of forest degradation or deforestation.

Blue Ventures (Madagascar). Blue Ventures improved community management of mangrove forests in coastal Madagascar by modeling the rate and scope of deforestation and then supporting the effort to establish legally-recognized community rights to mangrove management. The data Blue Ventures collected and validated were shown to government officials, helping them appreciate the rapid rate of mangrove deforestation in the region. This fostered political support for community-led mangrove management and assistance for community boards that monitor these plans.

Friends of Siberian Forests (Russia). The Friends of Siberian Forests convened ten forest advocates from Krasnoyarsk, Irkutsk, Buryat and Zabaikalsk territories in Siberia to create a network of ‘Forest Watchers’. They met for a three-day workshop in Krasnoyarsk to learn how to use GFW and begin developing a strategy for how to use the platform in their work. The workshop found that the data for the boreal forests in Siberia is sparse, which is a major obstacle for incorporating GFW into project work. Eventually, participants identified pulp and paper mills as the main focus.

Amazon Conservation Association (Ecuador/Peru). The Amazon Conservation Association validated GFW FORMA alerts and compared them to Landsat-based deforestation data to establish an effective deforestation monitoring system for the Andean Amazon. The ACA analyzed 19,322 alerts along with 8,976 Terra-I alerts, then analyzed the results in relation to key contextual data to develop a web portal called the Monitoring of the Andean Amazon Project (MAAP). Based on their results, ACA was able to identify key areas like the Yasuní National Park in Ecuador where there is a high level of false positives.

The Ecological Society (India). The Ecological Society (ES) re-assessed local land-use and evaluated the ecological status of the Panshet Dam catchment in order to create a restoration template for conservation programs in Northern Western Ghats. The resulting study found that only a few patches of land continue to support “endemic and special biodiversity” and that there is an urgent need to protect these remaining patches. Using the data they collected, ES developed a template for forest restoration in Northern Western Ghats and created a video to explain their findings.

Private Institute for Climate Change Research (Guatemala). Private Institute for Climate Change Research (ICC) convened a variety of stakeholders to examine the ways that GFW is useful for forest management in Guatemala, with a focus on national forest cover data. Through a series of workshops and trainings, ICC discovered significant differences between national government data and GFW data, due in large part to differences in mapping methodologies and forest cover definitions. However, GFW proved to be very useful for monitoring forest cover within forest concessions and protected areas.

Instituto Centro de Vida (Brazil). ICV used GFW to provide strategic information on the extent and cost of illegal logging in Mato Grosso (MT). Their study found that over 50% of all logging in the Mato Grosso State between August 2011 and July 2012 was operated without authorization from the State Secretariat for the Mato Grosso Environment (Sema/MT). After a GFW workshop, the Timber Union in Mato Grosso decided to create a taskforce to monitor illegal logging. In addition, the State environment agency also began to map illegality in forest operations.

Public Interest Law Foundation (Sri Lanka). The Public Interest Law Foundation (PILF) worked closely with government agencies and civil society groups to use GFW to identify potential deforestation hotspots, which revealed a lack of adequate enforcement. PILF published a series of stories about GFW related to deforestation in the traditional media. Working with community groups, PILF investigated complaints about illegal deforestation in preparation for possible litigation. Finally, through a series of workshops, PILF trained journalists, NGOs and government officials on how to use the platform.

Eligibility

The Small Grants Fund seeks applications for projects that use or contribute to Global Forest Watch. Potential project concepts may include but are not limited to:

• Using GFW to monitor, assess, or map forest landscapes to support sustainable forest management, law enforcement, biodiversity conservation, land use planning, and/or recognition of the forest tenure rights of local communities
• Using GFW to support evidence-based advocacy, campaigning, education, or training
• Increasing forest transparency by (a) promoting disclosure of geospatial data by companies, governments, or communities; (b) aggregating and surfacing existing forest data; or (c) developing new geospatial data for GFW;
• Using GFW for journalism or other evidence-based storytelling to support broad communication and to raise awareness about a specific issue
• Generating original, policy-relevant research or analysis to discern spatial or temporal trends in land use, forest change or drivers of deforestation
• Supporting baseline setting or measurement, reporting and verification (MRV) for REDD+ projects
• Building a customized app (web- or mobile-based tool) using GFW’s open source API
• Using GFW to support legal investigations and/or court cases related to forest crimes

Elibility is restricted to organizations that meet the following requirements:

• They must be certified non-profit and non-governmental
• They must be implementing projects at a regional, national or sub-national level
• They must have an annual budget of greater than $30,000 USD
• They must have computerized financial systems for tracking and recording expenses
• They must be able to fill out an organizational assessment document (containing questions regarding the organization's finances) in fluent English

Other considerations: Although not required, special consideration will be given to projects that promote gender equity or benefit women, and to projects that support poverty reduction and/or social justice.

For more information regarding project or organization eligibility, please download the Guidelines for Applicants. Consult the guidelines before applying.

How to apply

The application period for the 2015 cycle is now closed. Please return to this page early next year for information on the 2016 cycle.

Frequently asked questions

I’m implementing a project in conjunction with a number of organizations. Can I apply on behalf of multiple organizations?

Unfortunately, funding can only be granted to one organization per application, although you may work with other partners to implement the project.

I’m seeking funding for a small component of a larger project. Can I apply?

Yes. The purpose of the fund is to promote uptake and innovative use of Global Forest Watch. However, you must articulate how GFW will be used for the relevant component of your project.

I won’t be able to finish the project by December 31, 2015. Can I apply?

Yes. However, in your application, you must describe the activities and outcomes that can be achieved in the time allotted, and how they tie into the larger project goal.

Can the application be filled out in languages other than English?

Unfortunately, we can only accept applications in English. However, we can provide some level of guidance in Spanish, Portuguese, Bahasa and in select other languages as needed. Please contact gfwfund@wri.org for more information.

My project seeks funding to purchase equipment, seedlings, or other materials. Can I use the SGF award for this purpose?

No. Given the short term of projects, we cannot award funding for this purpose. However, a portion of funding requested may go towards equipment, such as portable Internet sticks, but we typically request that this amount be below US$5,000.

Can I apply on behalf of a university or research institution?

Unfortunately, only certified non-profit organizations are eligible to apply.

I applied to the SGF last year, but was not accepted. Will my application be given special consideration?

No. All applications will be reviewed against the same criteria. However, we encourage previous applicants to apply.

I’m not sure what Global Forest Watch is. How can I determine whether this platform can be used for my project?

All applications must describe how GFW will play a critical role in the project. To find out more information about GFW, visit the About or How To page. You can also view a summary of previous projects in the Guidelines for Applicants.

Can I apply as an individual, not as an organization?

No. Unfortunately, only organizations are eligible to apply. Please see the Guidelines for Applicants for more information.

I work for a large, international organization, but we’re implementing a project with a local partner. Can I still apply?

Yes. International organizations are eligible to apply if the proposed project is at the national or subnational level. In this case, organizations are encouraged to work with local partners.

Do you have a question that’s not on this list? Please consult the Guidelines for Applicants or email

Public API

The Global Forest Watch public Application Programming Interface (API) is currently in beta. The API enables any website to easily access GFW data. The following forest change data are now available through the API:

• University of Maryland (UMD)/Google tree cover loss & gain
• FORMA tree clearing alerts
• IMAZON SAD alerts
• QUICC alerts
• Terra-i alerts
• NASA active fires

Code

The Global Forest Watch website and public API are both collaborative and open-source projects hosted on GitHub. If you would like to access or contribute to our source code, please visit GFW on GitHub, where you can send pull requests to our website repository or API repository. All Global Forest Watch source code is released under the MIT License (MIT).

Coming soon

• Client libraries for accessing the Global Forest Watch API from JavaScript and Python
• Style guide for branding Global Forest Watch applications and tools
• The Seed Fund for supporting developers in their building of applications using Global Forest Watch data

Useful links

Users have spoken and we have listened!

Below are examples of changes and additions we’ve made to the website in response to feedback from users like you:

• Threshold settings for the UMD/Google tree cover loss data (read more here)
• Enhanced analysis functionality (i.e., for protected areas, subnational jurisdictions, and forest use concessions) (read more here)
• Time slider for the NASA active fires data and information about each fire
• “Share this map view” feature (read more here)
• A new homepage that better directs users to what they are looking for and communicates a clearer purpose

Do you have questions about how to use GFW? Be sure to visit the How To page, and if you still need help email gfw@wri.org. You can also connect with us on social media or by posting a comment to the GFW Discussion Forum.

Do you notice an incorrect text translation? Follow the steps below to easily correct a word or phrase in a translated page.

1. Hover your mouse over the translation you would like to change. A window will then appear that displays the original text.

2. If you are not signed in to your Google Account, click “Sign in.”

3. Click “Contribute a better translation” and follow the instructions provided.

If there is an incorrect translation that you are unable to edit, please email gfw@wri.org.