The tropical forest of Africa is 18 per cent of the world's total and covers over 20 million square kilometers of land in west and central Africa. The actual pace of deforestation varies from one country to another and accurate deforestation data does not exist. Remaining tropical forests still cover significant areas in central Africa but are reduced to patches in the west.

Deforestation in tropical Africa is driven by a variety of factors and has resulted in land cover changes that threaten biodiversity, water and energy resources. Lack of reliable data and survey information has made the estimation of areas of intact forest surprisingly difficult to establish.

In this study, high resolution satellite imagery will be used to map areas of forest clearing and types of land cover for the entire central African tropical region.