`gfw_query`

Pack: global-forest-watch · Connect: https://pipeworx.io/mcp (see Connect below for a single-pack URL)

No MCP client? Call it directly: GET https://gateway.pipeworx.io/v1/tools/gfw_query for the schema, then POST the same URL with its arguments for the data.

Run a read-only SQL SELECT against one Global Forest Watch dataset version — e.g. tree cover loss hectares by year inside an area, or deforestation alerts inside a bounding box. The table is always called data; use gfw_dataset to see the available columns first. Almost every GFW dataset (tree cover loss/gain, GLAD/RADD alerts, fire alerts, carbon, primary forest) is a RASTER TILE SET, not a plain table — a geometry (GeoJSON Polygon/MultiPolygon) is REQUIRED to scope the pixels queried, or the API answers 422 “Raster tile set queries require a geometry”. Omit it only for the few vector-table datasets (e.g. wdpa_protected_areas). Requires your own free GFW API key, passed as _apiKey.

Parameters

Name	Type	Required	Description
`dataset`	string	yes	Dataset name, e.g. “umd_tree_cover_loss”.
`version`	string	no	Version, e.g. “latest” or “v1.13”. Default “latest”.
`sql`	string	yes	A SELECT statement over the table `data`, e.g. “SELECT umd_tree_cover_loss__year, SUM(area__ha) AS loss_ha FROM data WHERE umd_tree_cover_loss__year > 0 GROUP BY umd_tree_cover_loss__year”. SELECT only; a LIMIT is appended if you omit one.
`geometry`	object	no	GeoJSON Polygon or MultiPolygon ({“type”:“Polygon”,“coordinates”:[…]}) scoping the query spatially. REQUIRED for raster tile set datasets — which is most of them; see gfw_dataset’s version_assets. Example, a ~0.2° box over Rondônia, Brazil: {“type”:“Polygon”,“coordinates”:[[[-63.0,-9.0],[-62.8,-9.0],[-62.8,-8.8],[-63.0,-8.8],[-63.0,-9.0]]]}.
`Brazil`	unknown	no
`limit`	number	no	Row cap appended when your SQL has no LIMIT (1-1000, default 100).
`_apiKey`	string	yes	Your own Global Forest Watch API key (BYO). ${KEY_HELP}

Example call

Arguments

{
  "dataset": "umd_tree_cover_loss",
  "sql": "SELECT umd_tree_cover_loss__year, SUM(area__ha) AS loss_ha FROM data WHERE umd_tree_cover_loss__year = 2023 GROUP BY umd_tree_cover_loss__year",
  "geometry": {
    "type": "Polygon",
    "coordinates": [
      [
        [
          -63,
          -9
        ],
        [
          -62.8,
          -9
        ],
        [
          -62.8,
          -8.8
        ],
        [
          -63,
          -8.8
        ],
        [
          -63,
          -9
        ]
      ]
    ]
  }
}

curl

curl -X POST https://gateway.pipeworx.io/global-forest-watch/mcp \
  -H 'Content-Type: application/json' \
  -d '{"jsonrpc":"2.0","id":1,"method":"tools/call","params":{"name":"gfw_query","arguments":{"dataset":"umd_tree_cover_loss","sql":"SELECT umd_tree_cover_loss__year, SUM(area__ha) AS loss_ha FROM data WHERE umd_tree_cover_loss__year = 2023 GROUP BY umd_tree_cover_loss__year","geometry":{"type":"Polygon","coordinates":[[[-63,-9],[-62.8,-9],[-62.8,-8.8],[-63,-8.8],[-63,-9]]]}}}}'

TypeScript (@pipeworx/sdk)

import { Pipeworx } from '@pipeworx/sdk';
const pipeworx = new Pipeworx();

const result = await pipeworx.call('gfw_query', {
  "dataset": "umd_tree_cover_loss",
  "sql": "SELECT umd_tree_cover_loss__year, SUM(area__ha) AS loss_ha FROM data WHERE umd_tree_cover_loss__year = 2023 GROUP BY umd_tree_cover_loss__year",
  "geometry": {
    "type": "Polygon",
    "coordinates": [
      [
        [
          -63,
          -9
        ],
        [
          -62.8,
          -9
        ],
        [
          -62.8,
          -8.8
        ],
        [
          -63,
          -8.8
        ],
        [
          -63,
          -9
        ]
      ]
    ]
  }
});

Connect

Add this to your MCP client config — every tool in the catalog, including this one — or use one-click install buttons:

{
  "mcpServers": {
    "pipeworx": {
      "url": "https://pipeworx.io/mcp"
    }
  }
}

Connect to just the global-forest-watch pack

{
  "mcpServers": {
    "global-forest-watch": {
      "url": "https://gateway.pipeworx.io/global-forest-watch/mcp"
    }
  }
}

See Getting Started for client-specific install steps.

gfw_query