Chaco-Region-Paraguay-Time Series_1.mp4
Summary: A satellite time-lapse shows extensive deforestation and agricultural expansion in Paraguay's Chaco region from 1988 to 2025.
This satellite time-lapse video documents the rapid and extensive deforestation that occurred in the Chaco region of Paraguay between 1988 and 2025. Initially covered by dense, dark green forest, the landscape progressively transforms into a mosaic of light-colored, geometrically shaped agricultural fields. The video highlights the significant human impact on this ecosystem, showing the relentless conversion of natural forest into agricultural land over several decades.
Playback guide
1. timestamp: 00:00-00:01 label: The landscape in 1988, predominantly dark green forest with a few small, scattered patches of lighter cleared land. 2. timestamp: 00:01-00:02 label: The year 1994, showing a slight increase in cleared areas, but the forest remains largely intact. 3. timestamp: 00:02-00:03 label: The year 2000, with more pronounced cleared areas, especially in the upper right, and the beginnings of linear structures. 4. timestamp: 00:03-00:04 label: The year 2006, illustrating significant expansion of agricultural land with distinct grid patterns, and an emerging road network. 5. timestamp: 00:04-00:05 label: The year 2013, depicting a large-scale conversion of forest to rectangular agricultural fields, covering much of the previous forest area. 6. timestamp: 00:05-00:06 label: The year 2019, showing widespread deforestation with extensive agricultural grids dominating the landscape; some hazy patches may indicate burning. 7. timestamp: 00:06-00:07 label: The year 2024, revealing near-complete transformation of the region into agricultural land, including circular irrigation fields, with very little dense forest remaining. 8. timestamp: 00:07-00:08 label: The video resets to 1990, again showing mostly dense forest with minimal clearings. 9. timestamp: 00:08-00:09 label: The year 1996, with slightly more visible cleared areas compared to 1990. 10. timestamp: 00:09-00:10 label: The year 2001, indicating a clear increase in linear and rectangular deforested plots. 11. timestamp: 00:10-00:11 label: The year 2007, showcasing a continued rapid expansion of grid-patterned agricultural fields. 12. timestamp: 00:11-00:12 label: The year 2015, where large tracts of forest have been converted to agriculture. 13. timestamp: 00:12-00:13 label: The year 2020, demonstrating further agricultural expansion with very few original forest patches left. 14. timestamp: 00:13-00:14 label: The year 2025, displaying the region almost entirely converted to agriculture, reflecting extensive land-use change.