NGA Tearline: Evaluating China’s Tree-Planting Activity

In Collaboration with Authors from the Columbia University School of International and Public Affairs

In September 2020, China pledged that it would achieve carbon neutrality by 2060. In this two-part series, researchers from the Columbia School of International and Public Affairs explore China's progress towards that goal along two vectors: "brown" and "green" using analysis of electro-optical satellite imagery, open satellite radar data, ground photography, and online literature.

Using these resources, students from Columbia University's Capstone Team, Class of 2021, helped create a Normalized Difference Vegetation Index (NDVI)-based service to measure “greenness” and the impact of China’s tree-planting efforts in two provinces. The analysis shows gaps between official government statistics and the NDVI-based service.

Read more of this intelligence report at Tearline.mil.


What is NGA Tearline?

NGA is partnering with expert private groups to grow public-facing, authoritative open source intelligence on various strategic and humanitarian intelligence topics that tend to be under-reported within long-form format.

This authoritative open source content will be cited for internal purposes and it will grow public trust by increasing transparency around shared public-private interest in various strategic and humanitarian intelligence topics that are fit for public consumption.

Learn more about NGA Tearline.