Vegetation Monitoring & Assessment Program (VMAP)

Tracking changes in forest and woody vegetation across Australia to provide estimates of forest-related carbon emissions and removals.

What is VMAP?

VMAP is a collaborative program led by The Australian National University and Haizea Analytics that provides accessible, authoritative and timely information on forests and other woody vegetation across Australia. The program is guided by five principles: useful, robust, transparent, timely, and accessible.

VMAP data products

VMAP's first phase delivers three data products. The Forest extent dataset tracks forest extent and changes over time at 10 m resolution from Sentinel-2 imagery. The Woody cover dataset measures foliage projective cover from woody vegetation across Australia from 2017. The Land carbon model estimates carbon stocks, emissions and removals from native forest and woodland ecosystems.

Supporting deforestation-free assessments

VMAP provides landholders and supply-chain participants with tailored access to forest extent data to support deforestation-free assessments against international standards. This includes guidance aligned with the Accountability Framework initiative (AFi), a preliminary self-assessment tool for deforestation, and guidance on make-good processes for remedying past deforestation. Read the full deforestation-free assessment guideline or learn more about VMAP.