VCM.fyi Satellite Monitoring
Satellite Monitoring
Forest cover loss tracking, fire alerts, and deforestation detection for land-use carbon projects using satellite imagery and global datasets.
1,000+
Forest Projects Monitored
30m
Spatial Resolution
~12 hours
Fire Alert Latency
2001-present
Historical Data
VCM.fyi integrates satellite-based monitoring data for land-use carbon projects (REDD+, ARR, IFM). By overlaying project boundaries with global forest monitoring datasets, the platform provides independent verification of forest cover claims — detecting tree cover loss, fire activity, and deforestation alerts within project areas.
The Problem
Land-use carbon projects — particularly REDD+ (avoided deforestation) — depend on maintaining forest cover. But verifying on-the-ground conditions for thousands of projects across remote tropical regions is logistically impossible through site visits alone. Satellite monitoring provides independent, continuous verification at global scale. Without it, buyers rely solely on self-reported monitoring data from project developers.
How It Works
Project Boundary Mapping
Project boundaries (KML/shapefile polygons) are sourced from the Source Cooperative open data initiative. These boundaries define the geographic extent of each project and are used to clip satellite data to the relevant area.
Tree Cover Loss Detection
Global Forest Watch / Hansen dataset provides annual tree cover loss data at 30-meter resolution. For each project with available boundaries, the platform calculates cumulative tree cover loss within the project area over time, generating historical loss charts and year-over-year comparisons.
Fire Alert Monitoring
NASA VIIRS (Visible Infrared Imaging Radiometer Suite) satellite data provides near-real-time fire detections. Fire alerts within project boundaries are flagged as potential threats to forest carbon stocks, with location, intensity, and timing data.
Deforestation Alerts
GLAD (Global Land Analysis & Discovery) Landsat alerts provide weekly deforestation detections at 30-meter resolution. These alerts identify areas of likely forest disturbance within project boundaries, enabling rapid response to potential non-permanence events.
Risk Classification
Based on the combined satellite data, each project receives a risk classification: HIGH (significant tree cover loss or active fire alerts), MEDIUM (moderate loss or historical fire activity), or LOW (minimal detected changes). Key findings highlight specific areas of concern within the project boundary.
Data Sources
- Source Cooperative — project boundary polygons (KML/shapefiles)
- Global Forest Watch / Hansen — annual tree cover loss (30m resolution)
- NASA VIIRS — near-real-time fire detections
- GLAD Landsat — weekly deforestation alerts (30m resolution)
Technical Details
Data Processing
Satellite data is processed by intersecting global datasets with project boundary polygons. Raster data (tree cover loss, fire hotspots) is clipped to project boundaries and aggregated into per-project statistics.
Temporal Coverage
Tree cover loss: annual data from 2001 to present. Fire alerts: near-real-time with ~12-hour latency. Deforestation alerts: weekly.
Resolution
All primary datasets operate at approximately 30-meter spatial resolution. This is sufficient to detect meaningful forest disturbance but not individual tree-level changes.
Quality & Accuracy
- Satellite data comes from peer-reviewed, globally recognized datasets (Hansen/GFW, NASA, GLAD)
- Independent of project developer self-reporting — satellite observations cannot be manipulated by project stakeholders
- Historical data enables trend analysis — a project with accelerating tree cover loss is flagged differently than one with a one-time event
- Boundary accuracy depends on the quality of source polygons from the Source Cooperative
Update Frequency
Fire alerts: near-real-time. Deforestation alerts: weekly. Tree cover loss: annual dataset updates. Satellite data is seeded to the platform weekly.
Related Methodologies
Forensic Intelligence
AI-powered weekly scanning of every carbon project across 100+ sources, delivering categorized intelligence memos with verifiable citations.
Data Pipeline
Daily automated collection, harmonization, and delivery of project and credit data from 6 carbon registries into a single unified database.
View satellite data for forest projects
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