JRC releases new Version 4 of the Global Forest Cover map for the year 2020

The European Commission Joint Research Centre (JRC) has released the map Version 4 of the Global Forest Cover map for the year 2020 (GFC2020). The new Version 4 integrates the newest data on forest height, forest management and types, improving the spatial representation of forest. The most significant changes are notable in Mesoamerica, the Northern Andes, the Cerrado region of Brazil, Western and Eastern Africa and Eastern China.

Map Version 4 is available via the EU Observatory on deforestation and forest degradation or as Web Mapping Service. It can also be downloaded as 10×10 degree tiles, as tiles, or single file from the JRC Big Data Analytics Platform. Analysis-ready data can also be accessed through Google Earth Engine or the IMPACT Toolbox (EUDR module).

Looking ahead, the JRC is updating the Global Forest Type map for the year 2020 (GFT2020). A technical report covering both maps is expected to be released in December 2026 or January 2027.

The EU Observatory on deforestation and forest degradation provided by the Commission is a free tool for all stakeholders that helps determine the global forest cover of 2020, aimed at supporting operators and competent authorities in the implementation of the EUDR. It is non-exclusive, non-mandatory and carries no legal value. Public and private stakeholders can use any maps or other data that they see fit for the purpose of their due diligence exercise or checks.