Forest Watch Malaysia
Written By Dan Gibas
The Forest Watch Project was launched by Transparency International's Forest Governance Integrity (FGI) Programme.
Transparency International's Forest Governance & Integrity Programme (FGI) tackles corruption as a primary driver of illegal logging and poor forest management.
The idea behind the program is to involve the public to become the eyes and ears of the forest by utilizing technology such Google's Earth software.
For those who haven't tried it yet, Google Earth uses geospatial technology - satellite imagery, aerial photography and GIS, to give a complete 3d rendering of the Earth with remarkable detail. The best part is anyone can use it and it's free.
The Forest Watch Project encourages people to use these kind of tools to assess forest cover and report irregularities online through their website.
According to the Forest Watch Project website:
A Monitoring and Advisory Team of Experts will review the reports and respond. Any irregularities will be addressed immediately to enhance forest governance in Malaysia setting an exemplary precedence in forest management.
If you would like to participate in the Forest Watch Project head over to the registration page.
The project is supported by various monitoring and advisory teams in Malaysia: