Combating Deforestation Linked to Human Trafficking

In the Brazilian Amazon, forced labor drives some illegal deforestation. This project will expand a remote detection model developed in collaboration with Brazilian law enforcement find illegal labor camps suspected of human trafficking. The researchers will leverage powerful new data streams reporting environmental law violations and monitoring deforestation, land development, and road construction. The project, a partnership with the Brazilian Federal Labor Prosecution Office, has the potential to profoundly enhance the capabilities of front-line law enforcement to stop human trafficking and illegal deforestation in the Amazon.