In this review paper we present geographical, ecological and historical aspects of Southeast
Asia from the perspective of forest degradation monitoring and critically discuss available
approaches for large area forest degradation monitoring with satellite remote sensing data
at high to medium spatial resolution (5–30 m). Several authors have achieved promising
results in geographically limited areas within Southeast Asia using automated detection
algorithms. However, the application of automated methods to large area assessments
remains a major challenge. To-date, nearly all large area assessments of forest degradation
in the region have included a strong visual interpretation component. We conclude that
due to the variety of forest types and forest disturbance levels, as well as the variable image
acquisition conditions in Southeast Asia, it is unlikely that forest degradation monitoring
can be conducted throughout the region using a single automated approach with currently
available remote sensing data. The provision of regionally consistent information on forest
degradation from satellite remote sensing data remains therefore challenging. However,
the expected increase in observation frequency in the near future (due to Landsat 8 and
Sentinel-2 satellites) may lead to the desired improvement in data availability and enable
consistent and robust regional forest degradation monitoring in Southeast Asia