Data related to forest cover, deforestation, reforestation, and forest biodiversity. 

forest

Forest

Data related to legality, including protected areas, administrative boundaries, census areas, indigenous lands, legal documents, partnerships, pledges,  regulations, and compliance. 

governance-law

Governance & Law

### Overview  
  
The Wood Fiber Concessions dataset shows public lands allocated by governments to private companies for the establishment of fast-growing tree plantations to produce timber for paper and paper products. The dataset is a compilation of concession data from the Republic of the Congo, Indonesia and Malaysia. Concession name, group and area in hectares (ha) are included in the Wood Fiber Concessions dataset. Wood Fiber Concessions data is typically from government agencies or nonprofits, although the data source and date vary by country. 

  
  
Wood fiber is a cellulose material extracted from trees and converted to wood pulp to make paper products. These products include paper, paperboard, cardboard and tissue. The year-round growing season and low cost of business has made tropical regions a popular wood fiber growing location. In these areas, it is common practice to clear land and plant fast-growing trees like the acacia. [Studies have shown](https://www.wri.org/blog/2017/07/drivers-deforestation-indonesia-inside-and-outside-concessions-areas) that these practices contribute to deforestation and [destruction of carbon-rich peat soils](https://www.wri.org/blog/2018/01/save-indonesias-carbon-rich-peatlands-start-mapping-them). Deforestation has many harmful impacts on the environment, including habitat destruction, erosion, air pollution and groundwater contamination. Understanding the locations and extent of wood fiber plantations provides information about potential environmental impacts. It can also be used to encourage farmers and businesses to use sustainable farming practices. 

  
  
The Wood Fiber Concessions dataset was generated by [Global Forest Watch (GFW)](https://www.globalforestwatch.org/about/), an organization established in 1997 by the [World Resources Institute (WRI)](https://www.wri.org/). WRI is an independent, non-governmental global research organization which seeks to create equity and prosperity through sustainable natural resource management. They provide data and research about climate, energy, food, forests, water, cities and oceans. GFW uses satellite data and cloud computing to monitor deforestation in near-real-time. Understanding when and where deforestation is occurring is critical for ending illegal deforestation, fires, and unsustainable practices. Farmers and landowners can use this data to protect their land and resources. Additionally, this data can be used by business owners and the public to monitor the environmental impacts of activities like logging, mining and farming.  
  
### Methodology  
  
The term “wood fiber concession” refers to an area allocated by a government to a company for industrial-scale fast-growing timber plantations. GFW generated the Wood Fiber Concessions dataset by compiling concession data from Republic of the Congo, Indonesia and Malaysia. Most locations in the dataset include the concession name, group and area (ha). 

  
  
Data for each country was collected from various sources, including from government agencies, environmental impact assessments and non-profits. The most common source was maps from forestry or agriculture-specific government agencies. This data was used to create polygons representing the locations and boundaries of concessions. Additional information, such as concession name and area, was added to the polygons as attributes. The Wood Fiber Concessions dataset was published in 2019, though the exact dates vary by country. Concession data for each country is available on the [GFW Open Data Portal](https://data.globalforestwatch.org/search?q=wood%20fiber). 

  
  
For the full documentation, please click on the “Learn more” button.  
  
### Additional Information  
  
Resource Watch shows only a subset of the dataset. For access to the full dataset and additional information, click the “Learn more” button.  
  
### Visualizing the Data  
  
Our team reformatted this dataset before displaying it on Resource Watch.  
  
### Disclaimer  
  
Excerpts of this description page were taken from the source metadata.

Wood Fiber Concessions

com-025-rw0-nrt-wood-fiber-concessions-rw

2010-present Wood Fiber Concessions

Public lands allocated by governments to private companies for commercial tree plantations

No Team

Wood Fiber Concessions

2010-present Wood Fiber Concessions