Humans have been clearing forests for millennia, however deforestation accelerated over the last century. In just over 100 years the world lost as much forest as it had in the previous 9,000 years. The world has lost one-third of its forest, but all is not lost. Young people around the world have decided to stand up to the occasion. They are using apps, satellite images, and social media to expose illegal logging and fight for the protection of forests worldwide.
Youth are leveraging satellite technology as a tool for monitoring. Open platforms such as Global Forest Watch (GFW) offer near real-time deforestation alerts through satellites that can be accessed by anyone, youth activists included. Forest Watcher, a mobile application connected with GFW, allows forest guardians to receive alerts in offline mode and gather geolocated photographs or videos to serve as proof of illegal actions. For Instance, community volunteers in Nepal are applying these tools to identify illegal logging and forest fires and report them to authorities who can respond more efficiently.
Similarly, young people are using social media to raise forest emergencies. A recent report brings to the fore how netizens, between 16‑25 years old, use hashtags, viral narratives, and shareability on the internet to call for action and hold decision-makers accountable. Initiatives such as #SaveTheAmazon illustrate how fast localized forest danger can turn global if young people organize online.
Initiatives such as Ecosia, the search engine that plants trees, demonstrate how our ordinary use of tech can support reforestation. Ecosia's profits are invested in planting worldwide; as of 2025, users had planted more than 225 million trees at over 95,000 locations. Projects in East Africa, such as planting 900,000 trees in Tanzania under Ecosia-funded initiatives, also engage local youth in seedling distribution and monitoring.
Fast fashion fuels deforestation by wood-based apparel; up to 48% of viscose, rayon, and lyocell production is associated with forest clearing, which translates into more than 200 million trees cut down per year. Global analysis indicates that over one-third of tree cover loss is directly related to global demand for these commodities.