ForestCom experts continue satellite monitoring of illegal logging in Ukraine

Category: News
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Data: 14.03.23
ForestCom experts continue satellite monitoring of illegal logging in Ukraine

In 2022, ForestCom experts monitored Carpathian forests for forest cover changes using satellite images and discovered 446 sites: 200 - were detected in Lviv, 90 - in Ivano-Frankivsk, 85 - in Zakarpattia, and 71 - in Chernivtsi regions.  The map showing these changes could be found here.


Satellite monitoring is carried out using a semi-automated system, by comparing satellite images of two nearby years with following site oriented analysis using the government online database of the State Enterprise "Forestry Innovation and Analytical Center.”


As a result of this research ForestCom identified absence of official documentation necessary for legal logging and a clear forest ownership for 200 sites: 109 in Lviv, 41 in Ivano-Frankivsk, 29 in Zakarpattia, and 21 plots in Chernivtsi regions.  These areas are mapped in yellow.


The next step is the selection of sites by our experts for the field inspections.


Previously, ForestCom together with the Space Research Institute of NASU and SSAU and the NGO “Government Monitoring Center” developed a monitoring system called “Deep Green Ukraine. The purpose of this system was to enable users to find out in near-real time how much forest cover has disappeared from the forest map of Ukraine and when it happened and whether there are appropriate permits (logging tickets) for the logging.


However, due to the lack of access to open cartographic data of State Enterprise "Forestry Innovation and Analytical Center” and public cadastre map due to the martial law, the Deep Green Ukraine service was halted.  Thus, the ForestCom experts continue to monitor illegal logging using satellite images.