Deforestation · 10 km around the city · 2001–2025
Deforestation around Belém
Since 2001, the area within 10 km of Belém has lost about 397 hectares of forest (about 560 football pitches): 3% of the forest it had in 2000. Most of it (69%) was deforestation, forest cleared for good, mainly for towns and roads.
- Forest in 2000
- 13,400 hawithin 10 km of the centre
- Forest lost since 2001
- 397 ha3% of it, about 560 football pitches
- Cleared for good
- 276 hadeforestation, 69% of the loss
- Worst year
- 202587 ha lost
Satellite timelapse
2017: satellite photo from July 2017 of a 5 × 5 km area about 7 km east 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 Belém, year by year
The worst year was 2025, when about 87 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 | 7 ha | 1 ha | 8 ha |
| 2002 | 12 ha | 2 ha | 13 ha |
| 2003 | 3 ha | under 1 ha | 3 ha |
| 2004 | under 1 ha | under 1 ha | under 1 ha |
| 2005 | 2 ha | 3 ha | 4 ha |
| 2006 | 3 ha | 2 ha | 4 ha |
| 2007 | 2 ha | 2 ha | 4 ha |
| 2008 | 2 ha | 2 ha | 4 ha |
| 2009 | 31 ha | under 1 ha | 32 ha |
| 2010 | 25 ha | under 1 ha | 25 ha |
| 2011 | 5 ha | 2 ha | 6 ha |
| 2012 | 5 ha | 2 ha | 7 ha |
| 2013 | 3 ha | under 1 ha | 3 ha |
| 2014 | 5 ha | 4 ha | 8 ha |
| 2015 | 7 ha | 2 ha | 9 ha |
| 2016 | 13 ha | 4 ha | 18 ha |
| 2017 | 10 ha | 21 ha | 31 ha |
| 2018 | 6 ha | 9 ha | 15 ha |
| 2019 | 5 ha | 13 ha | 18 ha |
| 2020 | 5 ha | 10 ha | 15 ha |
| 2021 | 2 ha | 8 ha | 9 ha |
| 2022 | 19 ha | 11 ha | 30 ha |
| 2023 | 9 ha | 2 ha | 11 ha |
| 2024 | 24 ha | 7 ha | 31 ha |
| 2025 | 74 ha | 13 ha | 87 ha |
Forest gained and lost, 2000–2020
- Forest in 2000
- 12,700 ha
- Forest in 2020
- 12,700 ha
- Overall change
- −42 haless forest than in 2000
Comparing satellite maps from 2000 and 2020, the forest around Belém stayed about the same size, at about 12,700 hectares: new forest grew on about 70 hectares, and about 112 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 Belém?
- 69%cleared for good (deforestation)
- 24%can grow back (fire, logging, storms)
- 7%cause unknown
- Towns and roads51% · 203 ha
Cleared for good. Forest replaced by houses, buildings and roads.
- Farms, pasture and plantations18% · 73 ha
Cleared for good. Forest cleared for crops, cattle pasture or tree plantations: the biggest cause of deforestation in the world.
- Storms, floods and other natural causes18% · 70 ha
Can grow back. Trees killed by storms, floods, landslides, pests or disease.
- Logging4% · 16 ha
Can grow back. Trees cut for timber or paper. The land usually stays forest and grows back.
- Shifting farming2% · 8 ha
Can grow back. Small patches cleared to grow crops for a few seasons, then left to grow back.
- Unknown causes7% · 28 ha
Cause unknown. The satellites saw the trees go, but not why.
Also, each under 1%: mining and energy.
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 |
|---|---|---|---|
| Marabá | 6,660 ha | 38% | 6,650 ha |
| Santarém | 2,640 ha | 25% | 2,510 ha |
| Manaus | 1,980 ha | 25% | 1,300 ha |
| Cuiabá | 1,180 ha | 20% | 1,170 ha |
| Porto Velho | 3,980 ha | 28% | 3,470 ha |
| Rio Branco | 3,200 ha | 29% | 3,200 ha |
Use this data
Put Belém's forest loss on your site
Free to embed, with a link back to the full figures.
Frequently asked
Questions about deforestation around Belém
How much forest has Belém lost since 2001?
Since 2001, the area within 10 km of Belém has lost about 397 hectares of forest (about 560 football pitches): 3% of the forest it had in 2000. Most of it (69%) was deforestation, forest cleared for good, mainly for towns and roads.
What is causing deforestation around Belém?
The main causes of forest loss since 2001 are towns and roads (51%), farms, pasture and plantations (18%), storms, floods and other natural causes (18%). About 276 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 Belém?
The worst year was 2025, when about 87 hectares of forest were lost.
Is the forest around Belém growing or shrinking?
Comparing satellite maps from 2000 and 2020, the forest around Belém stayed about the same size, at about 12,700 hectares: new forest grew on about 70 hectares, and about 112 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 Belém 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 Belém, 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 Belém, 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.