Google DeepMind and World Resources Institute have released ForTy — a global map that classifies forests and other land into six categories. These include primary forests, plantations and timber crops.
According to The Decoder, the map can help monitor deforestation under EU regulations. At the same time, ForTy recognises only about half of parcels with planted forests and timber crops, and also 60% plantations.
These indicators make the map more of a tool for additional verification rather than a full replacement for on-the-ground data or other monitoring methods. The material presented is based on metadata and a synopsis from The Decoder, so independent verification of results is absent.
editorial commentary
Why it matters
An expected consequence is that ForTy could simplify preliminary site selection for deforestation control and EU rules compliance assessment. The next observable signal will be the emergence of information about independent verification of the map or its practical use by regulators. A substantial uncertainty is related to how the claimed limitations vary between regions and land categories.