About this project
Mapping a Greener World
This interactive visualization uses MODIS Normalized Difference Vegetation Index data to compare vegetation patterns in 2000, 2013, and 2025. Many people may expect environmental pressure to have caused vegetation loss almost everywhere. However, the satellite record reveals a more hopeful and complex story: large parts of the world have become greener.
This progress is not identical in every region. Some areas show vegetation recovery, rainfall-driven growth, improved farming, or the effects of large restoration programs, while other areas continue to experience deforestation, drought, and land degradation. Therefore, this project invites readers to explore both the encouraging global trend and the regional challenges that remain.
Why this matters
The green and orange spikes represent more than satellite pixels. They reflect changing forests, farms, grasslands, habitats, water resources, and communities. The visualization shows that environmental improvement is possible and that restoration and protection efforts can make a meaningful difference.
How to interpret the maps
On the vegetation maps, higher NDVI generally indicates greener, denser, or healthier plant cover. On the change map, green cells represent an increase in NDVI and orange cells represent a decrease. Spike height represents vegetation intensity on the vegetation maps and the magnitude of change on the change map.
Data
The project uses satellite-based NDVI data derived from NASA MODIS vegetation products. The visualization is intended for exploration and broad comparison rather than precise measurement of forest cover or land-use change.
Team
Yutao Lin, Jacob Kavanal, Kang Lee, Raffi Dulgerian