Forest loss in Peru has reached alarming figures, especially in the Amazon. In 2023, 132,216 hectares of Amazon forest were lost (Geobosques, 2023), and forest fires affected another 63K hectares (SERFOR, 2024). Deforestation continues to advance and it is becoming increasingly urgent to act and promote a culture of prevention and sustainable management in our country.

In this context, WWF has developed Forest Foresight as an innovative solution that allows, through the synergy between historical geospatial data, socioeconomic indicators, and artificial intelligence, to anticipate forest loss up to six months in advance. This tool is an open-source predictive model that can be incorporated into various platforms and provides key information to prevent forest loss. It achieves advances in technology transfer and territorial application, positioning itself as a global reference solution. 

How does it work? It collects historical satellite images (Radar, Sentinel 1), analyzes them, and labels changes in forest cover. It then collects additional datasets that can predict forest loss, such as topological and population density. From this, it builds an advanced machine-learning model that studies how forest loss occurred in the past. Thanks to this valuable information, companies, governments, and local communities are empowered to generate more focused and efficient actions to mitigate climate change and collectively preserve forests. Peru is interested in using it as a preventive measure against the Amazon threats.

To achieve this objective, in 2024 key actors from the public, private, and academic sectors, including the Ministry of Environment (MINAM), the National Forestry and Wildlife Service (SERFOR), the National Service of Natural Protected Areas (SERNANP), and the Forestry and Wildlife Resources Oversight Agency (OSINFOR), participated in activities where they were shown the potential of Forest Foresight and carried out practical exercises to test its effectiveness.

“Forest Foresight is an innovative technology that helps prevent deforestation. Getting Peru to integrate it into its state platforms will strengthen its strategies and address threats to forests,” said Kaori Wong, Environmental Management Officer at WWF Peru.

After seeing the potential of Forest Foresight, a pilot plan will be initiated in the Madre de Dios region, in collaboration with SERNANP, SERFOR, and local productive associations. The objective is to validate the accuracy of the predictions in areas of common interest to design precise interventions and improve forest management. The institutions in charge will have an advantage over deforestation. They will act in a timely and efficient manner.

Forest Foresight is expected to consolidate its position as an open-access tool in the fight against deforestation. It also seeks to expand its capacity to contribute equally to other threats such as forest fires or the detection of illegal plantations. This technology facilitates forest management. It also, strengthens cooperation between local and international actors, empowering the State and the private sector to act in a collaborative and coordinated approach. As collaborative work is reflected in the use of this model in an accessible way, our country can contribute significantly to global forest conservation.

At WWF Peru we are committed to mobilizing processes of change that allow us to sustainably manage nature with the full and effective participation of indigenous and local communities. To promote these changes, we have defined five key strategies, conceived in a synergistic manner that seek to ensure the sustainable conservation of the landscapes where we intervene hand in hand and for the benefit of the population. This initiative belongs to strategy 4: participatory and effective public management. To learn more, please visit: https://www.wwf.org.pe/nuestro_trabajo/estrategias/ 

© WWF Perú