Deforestation · 10 km around the city · 2001–2025
Deforestation around Asunción
Since 2001, the area within 10 km of Asunción has lost about 752 hectares of forest (about 1,100 football pitches): 8.5% of the forest it had in 2000. Most of it (87%) was deforestation, forest cleared for good, mainly for towns and roads.
- Forest in 2000
- 8,840 hawithin 10 km of the centre
- Forest lost since 2001
- 752 ha8.5% of it, about 1,100 football pitches
- Cleared for good
- 656 hadeforestation, 87% of the loss
- Worst year
- 202288 ha lost
Satellite timelapse
2017: satellite photo from March 2017 of a 5 × 5 km area about 7 km north of the city centre.
Satellite photos of the same 5 × 5 km area, one per year, all taken in the same season so the colours compare. You can see forest being cleared and towns spreading, though not single trees. Download the before/after image (free to reuse with credit to Airleaf).
Year by year
Forest lost around Asunción, year by year
Forest loss has stayed about the same: about 57 hectares a year in 2021–2025, against 46 hectares a year in 2016–2020. The worst year was 2022, when about 88 hectares of forest were lost.
Hectares of forest lost each year
Show the figures as a table
| Year | Cleared for good | Can grow back | Total |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2001 | 4 ha | under 1 ha | 5 ha |
| 2002 | 4 ha | under 1 ha | 4 ha |
| 2003 | 12 ha | under 1 ha | 12 ha |
| 2004 | 11 ha | under 1 ha | 12 ha |
| 2005 | 6 ha | under 1 ha | 7 ha |
| 2006 | 15 ha | 2 ha | 16 ha |
| 2007 | 5 ha | under 1 ha | 5 ha |
| 2008 | 44 ha | 2 ha | 46 ha |
| 2009 | 13 ha | 2 ha | 15 ha |
| 2010 | 16 ha | under 1 ha | 17 ha |
| 2011 | 29 ha | 2 ha | 31 ha |
| 2012 | 25 ha | 6 ha | 31 ha |
| 2013 | 6 ha | under 1 ha | 7 ha |
| 2014 | 10 ha | under 1 ha | 11 ha |
| 2015 | 17 ha | under 1 ha | 18 ha |
| 2016 | 59 ha | 13 ha | 72 ha |
| 2017 | 35 ha | 15 ha | 50 ha |
| 2018 | 17 ha | under 1 ha | 17 ha |
| 2019 | 17 ha | under 1 ha | 18 ha |
| 2020 | 59 ha | 17 ha | 75 ha |
| 2021 | 52 ha | 6 ha | 58 ha |
| 2022 | 82 ha | 6 ha | 88 ha |
| 2023 | 63 ha | 6 ha | 68 ha |
| 2024 | 55 ha | 10 ha | 65 ha |
| 2025 | 3 ha | 2 ha | 5 ha |
Forest gained and lost, 2000–2020
- Forest in 2000
- 3,400 ha
- Forest in 2020
- 3,300 ha
- Overall change
- −101 haless forest than in 2000
Comparing satellite maps from 2000 and 2020, the forest around Asunción shrank from about 3,400 hectares to 3,300 hectares, a net loss of about 101 hectares (−3%). New forest grew on about 371 hectares, but 473 hectares were lost.
These 2000 and 2020 maps, from the University of Maryland, count any land with trees taller than 5 m as forest, including plantations and orchards. Forest that was cut or burned and had grown back by 2020 counts in both years, so the loss here is smaller than the yearly figures.
Causes
What is causing deforestation around Asunción?
- 87%cleared for good (deforestation)
- 11%can grow back (fire, logging, storms)
- 1.7%cause unknown
- Towns and roads37% · 277 ha
Cleared for good. Forest replaced by houses, buildings and roads.
- Farms, pasture and plantations31% · 232 ha
Cleared for good. Forest cleared for crops, cattle pasture or tree plantations: the biggest cause of deforestation in the world.
- Mining and energy20% · 147 ha
Cleared for good. Forest cleared for mines, oil and gas, power lines and dams.
- Storms, floods and other natural causes8.7% · 65 ha
Can grow back. Trees killed by storms, floods, landslides, pests or disease.
- Wildfires1.3% · 10 ha
Can grow back. Forest burned. It often grows back, though fire is sometimes used to clear land for good.
- Logging1.1% · 9 ha
Can grow back. Trees cut for timber or paper. The land usually stays forest and grows back.
- Unknown causes1.7% · 13 ha
Cause unknown. The satellites saw the trees go, but not why.
Causes for 2025 are estimates, based on what caused forest loss in the same places up to 2024.
Nearby cities losing forest
| City | Forest lost (10 km) | Share of its forest | Cleared for good |
|---|---|---|---|
| Ciudad del Este | 873 ha | 8.6% | 858 ha |
Use this data
Put Asunción's forest loss on your site
Free to embed, with a link back to the full figures.
Frequently asked
Questions about deforestation around Asunción
How much forest has Asunción lost since 2001?
Since 2001, the area within 10 km of Asunción has lost about 752 hectares of forest (about 1,100 football pitches): 8.5% of the forest it had in 2000. Most of it (87%) was deforestation, forest cleared for good, mainly for towns and roads.
Is deforestation around Asunción getting worse?
Forest loss has stayed about the same: about 57 hectares a year in 2021–2025, against 46 hectares a year in 2016–2020. These are five-year averages from 2011 on, the years the satellite maps were all made the same way.
What is causing deforestation around Asunción?
The main causes of forest loss since 2001 are towns and roads (37%), farms, pasture and plantations (31%), mining and energy (20%). About 656 hectares was deforestation, meaning forest cleared for good for farms, mines or towns. Causes for 2025 are estimates, based on what caused forest loss in the same places up to 2024.
What was the worst year for forest loss around Asunción?
The worst year was 2022, when about 88 hectares of forest were lost.
Is the forest around Asunción growing or shrinking?
Comparing satellite maps from 2000 and 2020, the forest around Asunción shrank from about 3,400 hectares to 3,300 hectares, a net loss of about 101 hectares (−3%). New forest grew on about 371 hectares, but 473 hectares were lost. These 2000 and 2020 maps, from the University of Maryland, count any land with trees taller than 5 m as forest, including plantations and orchards. Forest that was cut or burned and had grown back by 2020 counts in both years, so the loss here is smaller than the yearly figures.
Can I see satellite images of Asunción over the years?
Yes. The timelapse at the top of this page has a satellite photo for every year from 2017 to 2026 of a 5 × 5 km area near Asunción, where the most forest was lost. Press play to watch it change, or turn on "Show cleared forest" to see exactly where trees were lost.
How is forest loss measured?
We use satellite maps from the University of Maryland (Hansen and colleagues) that show, for every 30 × 30 m patch of land on Earth, the year its trees were cut down, burned or died, from 2001 to 2025. We add up those patches within 10 km of the centre of Asunción, counting only places that were at least 30% covered by trees in 2000. The cause of each loss comes from a map made by the World Resources Institute and Google DeepMind. All figures are estimates.