The acronyms Prodes and Deter are used in news and discussions about deforestation in Brazil. Although both terms are related to forest clearing, there are some differences between these two Inpe (National Institute for Space Research) programs.
A good way to tell the difference between the two is how often you hear the terms. This is because deforestation data from Deter (Real Time Deforestation Detection System) is constantly updated, with new information every week.
Data from Prodes (Project for Monitoring Deforestation in the Legal Amazon by Satellite) are currently released only twice a year.
The first, usually in the last months of the year, is an estimate, in square kilometers, of the forest felled from August of the previous year to July of the year in question. Close to the middle of the following year, the consolidated deforestation rate —for the same period published at the end of the previous year— is also made public.
Prodes and Deter also differ in purpose and precision. The first is “the data” of deforestation itself, used for international presentation and negotiation.
The Amazon Fund —which was paralyzed by actions by the Bolsonaro government— is a good example of using the rate registered by Prodes. Resources for the fund were raised as reductions in greenhouse gas emissions associated with deforestation were recorded (in Brazil, most emissions have this origin). Prodes data are part of this calculation.
Deter, on the other hand, was created to enable faster inspection actions and the fight against environmental crimes. For this reason, the areas indicated in the Deter program are usually associated with the idea of ​​deforestation warnings.
Deter’s felling detection accuracy is, in general, lower than that of Prodes.
Although not intended for measuring deforestation, Deter can be used to observe trends in growth, decline or maintenance of deforestation in the Amazon.
The Planeta em Transe project is supported by the Open Society Foundations.
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