MapBiomas Alert is a system for validation and refinement of alerts on deforestation/conversion of native vegetation in all Brazilian biomes using high-resolution imagery.

This system is being developed and continuously improved by the collaborative network of MapBiomas co-creators, with input from government agencies (e.g., MMA, IBAMA, SFB, ICMBio, MPF, and TCU) and alert providers (e.g., INPE, IMAZON, University of Maryland, ISA, and others).

WARNING!

MapBiomas Alert publishes any and all loss of native vegetation detected by alert provider systems and validated through high-resolution satellite images. MapBiomas does not define the legality, responsibility, and/or restrictions related to the validated deforestation alerts published on this platform. The assessment of such matters lies exclusively within the competence of public agencies and/or private and financial institutions that have free access to the data provided by MapBiomas Alert. MapBiomas is not responsible for the decisions made by these agencies and institutions based on the published alerts, as they represent objective and concrete data about the existence of deforestation or conversion (loss of native vegetation).

Here are some clarifications about the scope and limitations of the alert data:

1. Período dos alertas: a fase operacional busca avaliar todos os alertas de desmatamento detectados no país a partir de janeiro de 2019. Os alertas anteriores a esse período (outubro a dezembro de 2018) representam a fase pré-operacional com uma amostra dos alertas do período, e não aparecem nas estatísticas e no mapa (apenas continuam no banco de dados da plataforma para consulta por meio dos seus respectivos códigos do alerta). A data de detecção é aquela em que o alerta foi gerado pelos provedores (ex. DETER, SAD, GLAD) e não necessariamente representa o momento em que o desmatamento ocorreu. Desmatamentos detectados em 2019, por exemplo, podem ter se iniciado ou ter acontecido em 2018. Os dados do ano corrente são sempre parciais, sujeitos a alteração, devido ao tempo de processamento e publicação dos alertas. Quando os dados para um ano são consolidados, sistematizamos e publicamos o Relatório Anual do Desmatamento (RAD), o qual fica disponível no site do MapBiomas Alerta (https://alerta.mapbiomas.org/relatorio).

2. Minimum area:The minimum deforestation area for publication on the MapBiomas Alerta Platform is 0.3 hectares. The minimum area considered for an overlap with the Rural Environmental Registry (CAR) is also 0.3 hectares. 

3. Non-woody vegetation: MapBiomas Alerta uses deforestation indicators from the following systems: DETER/INPE, SAD/IMAZON, GLAD/University of Maryland, SIRAD-X/ISA, SAD Caatinga/UEFS-Geodatin, SAD Mata Atlântica/SOS Mata Atlântica-ArcPlan, and SAD Pantanal/SOS Pantanal-ArcPlan. Of these systems, only DETER-Cerrado generates alerts in non-woody vegetation. Therefore, only in the Cerrado biome is deforestation in grassland vegetation monitored directly. In the other biomes, deforestation in non-woody vegetation is identified by MapBiomas Alerta only when it is associated with indicators of deforestation in forest and savanna formations. https://alerta.mapbiomas.org/). For more information on data sources and methodology, visit: Explanatory Note on Deforestation in the Pampa

4. Embargoes: Embargoed areas correspond to those made available through the IBAMA and ICMBio geoservices:http://siscom.ibama.gov.br/geoserver/ These data may be incomplete with regard to state and municipal embargoes.

5. Rural Environmental Registry (CAR): Rural Environmental Registry (CAR) data are obtained through the SICAR geoservice managed by the Brazilian Forest Service (SFB). Properties registered at the state level that have not yet been synchronized with SICAR are not included.

6. Native vegetation suppression authorizations: vegetation suppression authorizations are sourced from SINAFLOR/IBAMA, which integrates data from the Brazilian states, although the database has limitations regarding the timeliness and completeness of the information. To complement this database and identify potential gaps or omissions in SINAFLOR, authorization databases made available by state environmental agencies are also consulted, when available. Authorizations issued at the municipal level may be incomplete, as may state authorizations issued prior to the implementation of SINAFLOR in 2018.

7. Legality, responsibility, and/or restrictions associated with deforestation alerts MapBiomas does not assess the legality, responsibility, and/or restrictions associated with deforestation alerts validated and published on the platform. Users (environmental agencies, financial institutions, etc.) are responsible for obtaining this type of information from the relevant authorities or their clients.
8. Pending alerts: The purpose of MapBiomas Alerta is to review all alerts generated by the main detection systems. However, some alerts may have their validation process pending for various reasons (e.g., lack of suitable imagery due to cloud cover, a high volume of alerts during periods with greater levels of deforestation, etc.). The number of pending alerts may vary over time, as new alerts are continuously generated and published.

9. Omissions: MapBiomas does not generate its own alerts and therefore depends on the quality of the systems operating in Brazil to minimize omissions. The development of new alert detection systems and their inclusion as sources in MapBiomas Alerta have helped reduce omissions and improve the identification of deforestation across all biomes.

10. Canceled alerts: Some alerts are reviewed after publication on the platform and CANCELED due to reasons such as pasture maintenance or edge effects, silviculture, or other factors. These alerts do not appear in the statistics or on the map. However, they remain in the platform's database and can be accessed using their respective alert codes.

11. Continuous improvement and data updates: The MapBiomas Alerta initiative is continuously improved and updated to ensure that information used to qualify alerts — such as SIGEF properties, CAR properties, Conservation Unit boundaries, vegetation suppression or alternative land-use authorizations, embargoes and releases of embargoes, enforcement actions, etc. — is as up to date and complete as possible. We always provide the source, month, and year in which these databases were consulted so that users, when necessary, can use the most up-to-date official information in their analyses and decision-making processes.

If you have suggestions, comments, or ideas for improving our work, please contact us at: suporte.alerta@mapbiomas.org.