CGD's Forest Conservation Performance Rating (fCPR) uses satellite-based forest clearing indicators from FORMA (Forest Monitoring for Action) to measure tropical forest conservation in three dimensions: (1) progress toward elimination of tropical forest clearing by 2050; (2) progress toward achieving more ambitious REDD+ goals; and (3) achieving an immediate reduction in forest clearing. The system can be implemented for local areas, countries, regions, and the entire pan-tropics.
We assign green ratings to areas that meet condition 2; yellow to areas that meet 1 only; light red to areas that meet neither but show a decline in forest clearing; and dark red to areas that meet neither and have increasing forest clearing.
The goal of fCPR is to indicate problem areas where focused attention may promote more rapid progress against deforestation. Reports will be published annually as working papers; interim findings and updates to the data will be posted to this page and announced to subscribers through our climate change newsletter.
August 2014 Update
Report 4: Brazil in the Vanguard (PDF) | Appendix Table (PDF) | Stata Programs
In this report, we cover developments since 2005 in 89 tropical forest countries, 1,096 of their states and provinces, and 12,556 of their sub-provinces and municipalities. We also combine the fCPR country ratings to produce ratings for major regions and the entire pan-tropics.
Overall, we find that conservation performance has deteriorated significantly since 2005, and the most recent developments provide few grounds for optimism outside of Latin America. With rough stability in that region and rapidly-increasing indicator values in Asia and Africa, the global forest clearing indicator is currently at its highest level since FORMA’s inception. Even Latin America owes its stability almost entirely to Brazil, which has reduced forest clearing enough to neutralize rapid increases elsewhere in the region.
Read More (PDF)
July 2013 Update
Report 3: New Grounds for Cautious Optimism (PDF) | Subprovince Appendix Table (PDF) | Stata Database (RAR archive)
We have expanded fCPR coverage to 89 tropical forest countries, 1,096 of their states and provinces, and 12,636 of their subprovinces and municipalities. We also combine the fCPR country ratings to produce ratings for major regions and the entire pan-tropics.
Overall, we find that conservation performance has deteriorated significantly since 2005, but recent changes provide some grounds for cautious optimism. Our previous report (Working Paper 317) highlighted the rapid growth and spread of forest clearing during the initial recovery from the global economic crisis. The current update highlights improvements from Q3 2012 to Q2 2013. During this period, new forest clearing has declined in many countries. Our global indicator is still higher than its level before the economic crisis, but the gap has narrowed significantly.
March 2013 Update
Working Paper 317—Forest Conservation Performance Rating (fCPR) Report 2: Bad News for the Pan-Tropics and Everybody Else