Mapping LULC for action planning

This abstract’s objective is to showcase how the MapBiomas initiative serves as a model of disruptive innovation for Land Use and Land Cover (LULC) mapping, achieved through a decentralized, network-based, and bottom-up approach. By providing a 40-year time series of LULC data—delivered entirely free and open-access and at unprecedented scale across Brazil and 14 other tropical countries—MapBiomas is fundamentally changing how conservation efforts are planned and executed. MapBiomas is a global, multi-institutional network formed by universities, NGOs, and technology companies that monitors changes in land cover and land use in different territories and their impacts. It provides the most up-to-date and detailed spatial database on land use in a country available in the world. All data, maps, methods, and codes are available to the public free of charge.

MapBiomas products not only allow users to tell the story of each little pixel of their countries’ territories, but also provide the tools and data for conducting complex analysis on ecosystems’ distribution and dynamics, and biodiversity threats like deforestation, mining, agriculture, fire, etc. This level of detail and temporal coverage is made possible by MapBiomas' pioneering network approach and use of satellite imagery, machine learning, and cloud computing. This fully automated, high-throughput methodology ensures transparency, scalability, and the timely production of data essential for effective spatial prioritization under post-2020 CBD targets.

The data's practical relevance will be highlighted through real-world applications, demonstrating its use in critical areas like the assessment of threatened species vulnerability and the monitoring of protected areas effectiveness—directly meeting the demand among practitioners and regulators for robust, actionable information.

Ultimately, the event aims to illustrate how collaborative, open-access platforms, underpinned by tested, scalable biodiversity models, are key to achieving resilient conservation action. By equipping a wider range of stakeholders with the information needed to make informed, spatially explicit decisions and respond effectively to environmental threats, MapBiomas exemplifies the essential role of convening developers and users to advance the science and practice of 'Mapping Life'.