Deforestation · 10 km around the city · 2001–2025
Deforestation around Belmopan
Since 2001, the area within 10 km of Belmopan has lost about 13,700 hectares of forest (about 19,000 football pitches): 50% of the forest it had in 2000. Most of it (83%) was deforestation, forest cleared for good, mainly for farms, pasture and plantations.
- Forest in 2000
- 27,100 hawithin 10 km of the centre
- Forest lost since 2001
- 13,700 ha50% of it, about 19,000 football pitches
- Cleared for good
- 11,300 hadeforestation, 83% of the loss
- Worst year
- 20202,940 ha lost
Satellite timelapse
2017: satellite photo from February 2017 of a 5 × 5 km area about 6 km south 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 Belmopan, year by year
Forest loss is slowing down: about 480 hectares a year in 2021–2025, down from 949 hectares a year in 2016–2020. The worst year was 2020, when about 2,940 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 | 60 ha | 2 ha | 63 ha |
| 2002 | 244 ha | 16 ha | 260 ha |
| 2003 | 219 ha | 4 ha | 223 ha |
| 2004 | 142 ha | 12 ha | 154 ha |
| 2005 | 341 ha | 8 ha | 349 ha |
| 2006 | 194 ha | 14 ha | 208 ha |
| 2007 | 476 ha | 5 ha | 481 ha |
| 2008 | 259 ha | 6 ha | 265 ha |
| 2009 | 401 ha | 59 ha | 460 ha |
| 2010 | 460 ha | 19 ha | 479 ha |
| 2011 | 1,110 ha | 121 ha | 1,230 ha |
| 2012 | 284 ha | 5 ha | 289 ha |
| 2013 | 627 ha | 95 ha | 722 ha |
| 2014 | 829 ha | 33 ha | 862 ha |
| 2015 | 451 ha | 10 ha | 461 ha |
| 2016 | 497 ha | 68 ha | 565 ha |
| 2017 | 540 ha | 43 ha | 583 ha |
| 2018 | 254 ha | 14 ha | 268 ha |
| 2019 | 345 ha | 41 ha | 386 ha |
| 2020 | 1,730 ha | 1,210 ha | 2,940 ha |
| 2021 | 240 ha | 9 ha | 249 ha |
| 2022 | 153 ha | 3 ha | 156 ha |
| 2023 | 710 ha | 258 ha | 968 ha |
| 2024 | 475 ha | 201 ha | 676 ha |
| 2025 | 237 ha | 116 ha | 353 ha |
Forest gained and lost, 2000–2020
- Forest in 2000
- 24,000 ha
- Forest in 2020
- 18,200 ha
- Overall change
- −5,800 haless forest than in 2000
Comparing satellite maps from 2000 and 2020, the forest around Belmopan shrank from about 24,000 hectares to 18,200 hectares, a net loss of about 5,800 hectares (−24%). New forest grew on about 660 hectares, but 6,460 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 Belmopan?
- 83%cleared for good (deforestation)
- 17%can grow back (fire, logging, storms)
- Farms, pasture and plantations80% · 11,000 ha
Cleared for good. Forest cleared for crops, cattle pasture or tree plantations: the biggest cause of deforestation in the world.
- Wildfires16% · 2,170 ha
Can grow back. Forest burned. It often grows back, though fire is sometimes used to clear land for good.
- Towns and roads2.2% · 306 ha
Cleared for good. Forest replaced by houses, buildings and roads.
- Storms, floods and other natural causes1.3% · 172 ha
Can grow back. Trees killed by storms, floods, landslides, pests or disease.
Also, each under 1%: shifting farming.
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 |
|---|---|---|---|
| Guatemala City, Guatemala | 1,270 ha | 10% | 1,260 ha |
| Tegucigalpa, Honduras | 869 ha | 9.6% | 820 ha |
| San Salvador, El Salvador | 869 ha | 5.2% | 849 ha |
| Mérida, Mexico | 3,740 ha | 57% | 3,740 ha |
Use this data
Put Belmopan's forest loss on your site
Free to embed, with a link back to the full figures.
Frequently asked
Questions about deforestation around Belmopan
How much forest has Belmopan lost since 2001?
Since 2001, the area within 10 km of Belmopan has lost about 13,700 hectares of forest (about 19,000 football pitches): 50% of the forest it had in 2000. Most of it (83%) was deforestation, forest cleared for good, mainly for farms, pasture and plantations.
Is deforestation around Belmopan getting worse?
Forest loss is slowing down: about 480 hectares a year in 2021–2025, down from 949 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 Belmopan?
The main causes of forest loss since 2001 are farms, pasture and plantations (80%), wildfires (16%), towns and roads (2.2%). About 11,300 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 Belmopan?
The worst year was 2020, when about 2,940 hectares of forest were lost.
Is the forest around Belmopan growing or shrinking?
Comparing satellite maps from 2000 and 2020, the forest around Belmopan shrank from about 24,000 hectares to 18,200 hectares, a net loss of about 5,800 hectares (−24%). New forest grew on about 660 hectares, but 6,460 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 Belmopan 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 Belmopan, 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 Belmopan, 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.