Mangroves are vital protective shields for coastal populations. They act as natural barriers against extreme weather events such as storms, hurricanes, and tsunamis, protecting millions of people living in coastal areas. Indonesia holds the largest expanse of mangrove forests, which are essential for coastal protection, biodiversity, carbon sequestration, and supporting local livelihoods. Mangrove forests in Indonesia are undergoing significant changes due to human activities, rising sea levels, and increasing temperatures. Conserving and restoring mangrove forests is essential for maintaining their protective functions.

The Amazon rainforest is crucial for carbon sequestration. It absorbs massive amounts of carbon dioxide (CO₂) from the atmosphere through photosynthesis and stores it in its biomass, including trunks, branches, leaves, and roots. Amazon absorbs more than half of the CO₂ absorption of all global forests annually. Deforestation, habitat fragmentation, and climate change threaten this vital ecosystem. Protecting and restoring the Amazon rainforest is essential for maintaining its role as a carbon sink and mitigating climate change.

The Amazon is the most biodiverse ecosystem on Earth, home to more than half of the world’s plant and animal species. Tropical forests are vital for biodiversity, providing habitats for many species, including plants, animals, fungi, and microorganisms. Many endangered species rely on the Amazon rainforest for survival, making conservation efforts critical. Deforestation, habitat fragmentation, and climate change threaten this vital ecosystem. Protecting and restoring the Amazon through sustainable practices and reforestation projects is crucial for maintaining biodiversity and the ecological services this forest provides.

Forests in Africa are vital for human livelihoods, with around 100 million people depending on them for their economic well-being. These forests provide a wealth of resources, including timber, fuelwood, and non-timber products like fruits, nuts, and medicinal plants, essential for daily sustenance and income generation. Forests also play a crucial role in water regulation, ensuring clean water supplies for communities and agriculture, which is necessary for food security. Protecting and sustainably managing African forests is critical to maintaining these economic benefits and supporting the millions of people who rely on them for their livelihoods.

Deforestation in Southeast Asia is a significant environmental issue, with vast forest areas being destroyed yearly. Over the past few decades, millions of hectares of forest have been lost, primarily due to logging, agricultural expansion, and infrastructure development. Much of the deforested land is replaced with palm oil plantations, which are highly profitable but environmentally damaging, destroying biodiversity-rich rainforests. Indigenous communities and rural populations who rely on forests for their livelihoods face displacement and loss of resources. Deforestation also leads to soil erosion, reduced water quality, and increased vulnerability to natural disasters, affecting agriculture and daily life.

The Biomass satellite mission, aimed at monitoring global forest biomass, faces coverage restrictions due to the US Department of Defense's Space Object Tracking Radar (SOTR). The SOTR operates at the same frequency as the Biomass radar, leading to restrictions on the satellite's operations within the line-of-sight of these radars. Consequently, the Biomass mission cannot cover significant portions of North America and Europe. Despite these limitations, the impact on the mission's overall objectives is not critical. The primary goal of the Biomass mission is to monitor tropical forests, the most vital regions, for understanding global carbon cycles and biomass changes. These tropical regions are not affected by the SOTR restrictions, allowing the mission to achieve its core scientific objectives.