Remote sensing through a radar satellite may advance monitoring on forest carbon, the focal point of the Reducing Emissions from Deforestation and Forest Degradation (REDD) plus mechanism, experts say.

By utilizing synthetic aperture radar (SAR) satellites, Indonesia could measure, report and verify activities in its forests and plantation areas more comprehensively and unhampered by difficult geographical and aerial condition in several islands.

“We can measure more accurately the levels of deforestation and forest degradation by using a high-resolution radar satellite due to the fact that most of Indonesia’s area is covered by cloud,” Nur Hidayat, the National Aeronautics and Space Agency’s (LAPAN) Deputy Director of Remote Sensing, said on Wednesday.