Bridging Technological and Governance Gaps in Tropical Forest Monitoring: A Hybrid Satellite–Community Model from Cameroon

Abstract

Effective environmental management requires monitoring systems that not only detect ecological change but also translate detection into governance action. While satellite-based forest alerts have significantly improved transparency in tropical forest monitoring, persistent uncertainties remain in driver attribution, spatial precision, and enforcement response. We evaluate a hybrid monitoring model integrating satellite alerts with structured community validation and local land-use governance mechanisms in the Yabassi Key Biodiversity Area (KBA), Cameroon. Using alerts from Global Forest Watch, combined with participatory field validation, GPS verification, and Community Land Use Planning (CLUP), we analyzed approximately 800 alerts over a five-month period, validating 172 events. Community validation refined disturbance classification, identifying selective logging (38.71%), agricultural expansion (25.81%), plantation development (25.81%), burning (4.84%), and charcoal production (1.61%) as dominant drivers. Embedding monitoring within CLUP governance structures institutionalized patrols and sanction mechanisms, thereby reducing the detection–response gap. The findings demonstrate that hybrid monitoring strengthens environmental management effectiveness by integrating adaptive governance, polycentric coordination, and knowledge co-production. This framework provides a scalable model for REDD+, biodiversity conservation, and decentralized forest governance across tropical forest landscapes.