Mapping a Better Future

Brazilian scientist Tasso Azevedo on how maps and open data can help reverse deforestation. **In 1960, less than 1% of the Amazon was deforested. Today, that number exceeds 20%.** Malaysia has lost roughly a quarter of its forest cover and Indonesia a third, while accelerating deforestation in the 21st century has cost the Congo River Basin roughly 8.5% of its dense forest cover since 1990. These are extraordinary changes — with consequences not only for the millions of people who live in and around the forests, but for the whole planet. As forests shift from carbon sink toward carbon source, the Earth warms. Disrupted water cycles and “flying rivers” bring both excess rainfall and excess drought, while flooding and landslides undermine agriculture. So how do we know what we know about the rainforests — and how can that knowledge be used to govern them? **In this episode of New Thinking for a New World, Brazilian scientist Tasso Azevedo explains why the answers all trace back to maps.** He has spent his career building MapBiomas, a hugely influential collaborative network of NGOs, universities, and tech startups that uses modern technology to map the Amazon as well as large parts of Africa, Asia, and the Indian subcontinent. **Maps and information, he argues, are the superpowers that could help reverse deforestation and its consequences.** Topics discuss: - How the world’s rainforests have changed since 1960 — and what that means for the planet - Carbon sinks, flying rivers, and the hidden links between forests, rainfall, and agriculture - How satellite technology and collaborative mapping reveal what is really happening on the ground - Why open, detailed data matters for governing forests - Whether better information can help reverse deforestation https://tallbergfoundation.org/podcasts/mapping-a-better-future/