Product

Global Forest Watch
Short summary for card views and tables:  
Global Forest Watch is an open-source web application to monitor global forests in near real-time.

Species Group 

  • Plants

Overview  

Global Forest Watch (GFW) is an online platform that provides data and tools for monitoring forests. By harnessing cutting-edge technology, GFW allows anyone to access near real-time information about where and how forests are changing around the world. It combines a multi-petabyte catalogue of satellite imagery and geospatial datasets with planetary-scale analysis capabilities, which are available for free to all. Available tools include: timelapses, ready-to-use datasets, API in Python & Java, web-based code editor (hosted on Google Cloud).

Product Type 

Technology Type 

Availability 

WILDLABS Content

Pinned

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Reviews

3 reviews from January 2025 to present

  • Free to use 3 100%
  • Complete / Comprehensive 2 67%
  • Clear structure 1 33%
  • Good value for money 1 33%
  • Incomplete / Not comprehensive 1 33%
Newest first
  • 07/02/2025
    Using product 1 - 3 years
    Complete / Comprehensive  /  Free to use  / 

    GFW is an an incredible data analysis and visualization tool with tons of different geospatial layers integrated into it (e.g., those from U Maryland's GLAD lab, WRI's Land & Carbon Lab, etc.). I also...

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    GFW is an an incredible data analysis and visualization tool with tons of different geospatial layers integrated into it (e.g., those from U Maryland's GLAD lab, WRI's Land & Carbon Lab, etc.). I also highly recommend the API, which is helpful for directly querying information. GFW is unique in that the platform and majority of layers are CC-BY, so they are open for any usage (with attribution) which expands the pool of folks who can use it. 

    The platform itself is easy to use and has a lot of helpful auto-generated graphics alongside the map viewer. Great for general data exploration but also can be used easily in more complex analytical workflows. The time series of many of the layers is also great, so that you can get historical perspectives and see change over time. One of the best open geospatial tools out there!  

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  • Using product 5+ years
    Free to use  /  Good value for money  /  Incomplete / Not comprehensive  / 

    Great product for visualizing forest loss that's update and, when you sign up, email alerts. It's not entirely easy or clear how to download data once you create an area of interest or that could be behind a paywall. Nevertheless it uses free and open source data sources that are accessible elsewhere if you do need data access.

  • Using product 5+ years
    No. of units 10 - 19
    Clear structure  /  Complete / Comprehensive  /  Free to use  / 

    Global Forest Watch offers a variety of well-documented datasets (for example, deforestation alerts), a user-friendly interactive mapping tool, and the ability to produce customizable reports. The tool is a...

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    Global Forest Watch offers a variety of well-documented datasets (for example, deforestation alerts), a user-friendly interactive mapping tool, and the ability to produce customizable reports. The tool is a go-to resource for rapid assessments. However, it may produce inaccurate results over large areas at times, so ensure you refresh the dashboard frequently to update it with the correct statistics. I would definitely recommend it to anyone looking to explore various datasets and gain quick results.

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Specifications 

Medium-resolution satellite imagery.|LandSat, Sentinel 1 and Sentinel 2 satellites used.|Data available in an increasing number of countries.

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