WWF , NASA to establish the areas of forests in Virunga using an optical remote sensing technology known as LIDAR

WWF planning to join forces with NASA  to establish the forest area surfaces in Virunga region between Democratic Republic of Congo, Rwanda and Uganda  using an optical remote sensing technology known as LIDAR.

With LIDAR techology, they can detect subtle topographic features such as river terraces and river channel banks, and measure the land surface elevation beneath the vegetation canopy. 

The technology will allow researchers to establish forest density and even the precise amount of chlorophyll contained in different tree species.

With data provided by LIDAR, researchers will also be able to divide the Congo Basin into zones, isolating which areas are made up of primary forest and are therefore most in need of protection, and which areas could best be exploited by local populations. The ultimate goal is to identify 15 percent of the Congo Basin as a protected area and thereby help preserve the habitats of species such as forest elephants, bonobo apes and various types of rare flora.

Outside the protected areas of the national park, the WWF is therefore overseeing a project to establish, maintain and exploit legal plantations for the production of fuel wood. It also subsidizes the manufacture of energy-efficient ovens that consume 30 percent less fuel than previous ovens used hitherto.

Another project, run by the World Resources Institute, is putting the systems in place to implement effective strategies to reduce emissions from deforestation and forest degradation (known as REDD.) It is spearheading an innovative new project aimed at quantifying degradation and the greenhouse gas emissions in the forests of the Republic of Congo, and developing new methods to measure and monitor forest degradation.

The region will also be able to earn carbon credits by engaging in green carbon sequestering activities. Ideally, REDD could deliver millions of dollars to impoverished communities in the Congo Basin in carbon credits, providing a powerful incentive to protect this land of great value to the planet. But given that DRC is one of the most corrupt nations in the world, negotiations are far from straightforward.

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A detailed study on the use of Remote sensing techniques in forest management can be found at ITC online library  in a document titted"User requirement study for for remote sensing based spatial information for sustainable  management of forests"