Monitoring of the Andean Amazon Project (MAAP)

Launched in 2015, the Monitoring of the Andes Amazon Program (MAAP) conducts high-tech, real-time monitoring across 100% of the Amazon biome.

The project recognises that deforestation, degradation and climate change are bringing the Amazon closer to its tipping point, something that may transform the Amazon into (at best) a dry savanna, according to scientists. In this context, MAAP is seeking to empower local and Indigenous communities, governments, law enforcers, civil society, journalists and publics to rapidly monitor, identify and act upon illegal deforestation and fires in the Amazon basin.

MAAP employs remote sensing technologies (e.g. radar, drones, analytical algorithms) to assess the occurrence and legality of forest loss. Five technology systems support this analysis: Landsat, Planet, DigitalGlobe, Sentinel, and Perusa. Alongside deforestation and fire monitoring, MAAP develops 'big picture analyses' of vital issues related to the Amazon, such as carbon, tipping points, mining, roads and climate. Spanning the entire Amazon biome, MAAP operates across nine countries: Brazil, Bolivia, Colombia, Ecuador, French Guiana, Guyana, Peru, Suriname, and Venezuela.

MAAP works directly with key government agencies and local law enforcement officials, providing confidential, actionable intelligence reports to support field operations against illegal deforestation. MAAP also publicly shares the most critical cases of deforestation on its website to raise awareness and build public pressure on authorities to act. The programme offers open access to key data sets and seeks to strengthen communities' capacity to produce, comprehend and use this data to take action. Crucially, MAAP partners with local NGOs, Indigenous peoples and community organisations. This helps MAAP develop contextual understandings of each region and amplifies on-the-ground impact.