MAAP #192: Confirming Deforestation by Mennonites in the Peruvian Amazon
In a series of reports, we have documented the recent massive deforestation by Mennonite colonies in the Peruvian Amazon (see MAAP #188). Here, we present additional evidence that Mennonites are currently clearing primary Amazon forests: very high-resolution satellite imagery (0.5…
MAAP #188: Mennonite Colonies Continue Major Deforestation in the Peruvian Amazon
Starting in 2017, new Mennonite colonies began appearing in the Peruvian Amazon, coming from other parts of Latin America in search of new lands. TheMennonites, a global religious group dating back to the 1600s, often require vast tracts of land…
MAAP #189: Amazon Fire Season Heats Up
The Amazon fire season is well under way: to date, we have detected over 260 major fires thus far in 2023 (see Base Map below). This year is of special concern because scientists indicate we have entered a new El…
MAAP #187: Amazon Deforestation & Fire Hotspots 2022
We present a detailed look at the major 2022 Amazon forest loss hotspots, based on the final annual data recently released by the University of Maryland (and featured on Global Forest Watch). This dataset is unique in that it is…
MAAP #185: Gold Mining Deforestation in the Southern Peruvian Amazon: 2021-2022 Update
Gold mining continues to be one of the main causes of deforestation in the southern Peruvian Amazon, especially in the Madre de Dios region. Here, we provide a comprehensive look at the most recent (2021-2022) gold mining-related deforestation in the…
MAAP #183: Protected Areas & Indigenous Territories Effective Against Deforestation Across Amazon
As deforestation continues to threaten primary forest across the Amazon, key land use designations are one of the best hopes for the long-term conservation of critical remaining intact forests. Here, we evaluate the impact of two of the most important: …
MAAP #178: Gold Mining Deforestation Across the Amazon
Gold Mining is one of the major deforestation drivers across the Amazon. Although not typically at the scale of agricultural deforestation, gold mining has the potential to severely impact critical areas such as protected areas & indigenous territories. Relatedly, gold…
MAAP #182: Gold Mining Deforestation in the Ecuadorian Amazon
Gold mining is one of the major deforestation drivers across the Amazon, with well-known cases in Peru, Brazil, and Venezuela. In a recent series of technical articles*, in collaboration with the Ecuadorian organization Foundation EcoCiencia, we have also shown that…
MAAP #181: Illegal Gold Mining in Yanomami Indigenous Territory (Brazil)
The Brazilian government recently launched a series of raids against illegal gold mining in Yanomami Indigenous Territory, located in the northern Brazilian Amazon (see inset of Base Map). These raids highlight the severe consequences brought by illegal mining activity, particularly…
MAAP #180: Mennonites & Soy Deforestation in the Bolivian Amazon
We continue with the second part in our series on soy deforestation in the Bolivian Amazon. In the first part, see MAAP #179, we documented the massive soy-driven deforestation of 904,518 hectares (2.2 million acres) between 2001 and 2021 in…