Deforestation · 2001–2025
Deforestation in the Aland Islands
Since 2001, the Aland Islands has lost about 13,200 hectares of forest (about 19,000 football pitches): 21% of the forest it had in 2000. Most of it was lost to logging, so much of it can grow back. About 332 hectares (2.5%) was deforestation: forest cleared for good for farms, mines or towns.
- Forest in 2000
- 64,300 ha
- Forest lost since 2001
- 13,200 ha21% of it, about 19,000 football pitches
- Cleared for good
- 332 hadeforestation, 2.5% of the loss
- Worst year
- 20191,710 ha lost
Map
Where the Aland Islands has lost forest
Every square kilometre of the Aland Islands as satellites saw it from 2000 to 2025. Yellow and green were forest; red to white marks where it has been lost since 2001, and when.
- Forest cover in 2000
- 0%25%50%75%100%How much of the land was forest: dark purple had little or none, yellow was dense forest.
- Year the forest was lost
- 200120132025Where forest was cut down, burned or cleared since 2001: red for the early years, through orange, to white for the most recent. Solid where a fifth or more of a place's forest went, fainter where 8% or more did.
- Cities
- The capital (the larger dot) and the biggest cities, to help you find your way.
Year by year
Forest lost in the Aland Islands, year by year
Forest loss has stayed about the same: about 763 hectares a year in 2021–2025, against 745 hectares a year in 2016–2020. The worst year was 2019, when about 1,710 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 | 13 ha | 286 ha | 299 ha |
| 2002 | 6 ha | 177 ha | 183 ha |
| 2003 | 2 ha | 164 ha | 166 ha |
| 2004 | 12 ha | 508 ha | 520 ha |
| 2005 | 26 ha | 480 ha | 506 ha |
| 2006 | under 1 ha | 62 ha | 62 ha |
| 2007 | 4 ha | 178 ha | 182 ha |
| 2008 | 26 ha | 914 ha | 940 ha |
| 2009 | 12 ha | 388 ha | 400 ha |
| 2010 | 30 ha | 412 ha | 442 ha |
| 2011 | 14 ha | 372 ha | 385 ha |
| 2012 | 20 ha | 457 ha | 477 ha |
| 2013 | 13 ha | 366 ha | 379 ha |
| 2014 | 17 ha | 361 ha | 378 ha |
| 2015 | 2 ha | 385 ha | 387 ha |
| 2016 | 25 ha | 482 ha | 507 ha |
| 2017 | 11 ha | 537 ha | 548 ha |
| 2018 | 16 ha | 433 ha | 449 ha |
| 2019 | 22 ha | 1,690 ha | 1,710 ha |
| 2020 | 11 ha | 500 ha | 511 ha |
| 2021 | 16 ha | 950 ha | 966 ha |
| 2022 | 15 ha | 849 ha | 864 ha |
| 2023 | 5 ha | 794 ha | 799 ha |
| 2024 | 6 ha | 688 ha | 693 ha |
| 2025 | 10 ha | 483 ha | 493 ha |
The satellite method improved in 2011, so compare recent years with each other rather than with the 2000s. Hover over or tap a year for its figures.
Causes
What is causing deforestation in the Aland Islands?
- 2.5%cleared for good (deforestation)
- 97%can grow back (fire, logging, storms)
- Logging97% · 12,900 ha
Can grow back. Trees cut for timber or paper. The land usually stays forest and grows back.
- Towns and roads1.5% · 202 ha
Cleared for good. Forest replaced by houses, buildings and roads.
Also, each under 1%: farms, pasture and plantations, wildfires, unknown causes.
Causes for 2025 are estimates, based on what caused forest loss in the same places up to 2024.
Is all forest loss deforestation?
No. When forest is cleared for farms, mines or towns, it is gone for good: that is deforestation. When it is logged or burned, it usually grows back. We count both as forest lost, but only the first as deforestation, so a country with a bad fire year isn't shown as clearing its forest for good.
Cities that lost the most forest around them
Forest lost within 10 km of each city centre since 2001.
| City | Forest lost | Share of its forest | Cleared for good |
|---|---|---|---|
| Mariehamn | 3,340 ha | 27% | 243 ha |
Satellite timelapses of cities in the Aland Islands
A satellite photo a year since 2017, with the forest lost marked on it, and the figures for each city.
Frequently asked
Questions about deforestation in the Aland Islands
How much forest has the Aland Islands lost since 2001?
Since 2001, the Aland Islands has lost about 13,200 hectares of forest (about 19,000 football pitches): 21% of the forest it had in 2000. Most of it was lost to logging, so much of it can grow back. About 332 hectares (2.5%) was deforestation: forest cleared for good for farms, mines or towns.
Is deforestation in the Aland Islands getting worse?
Forest loss has stayed about the same: about 763 hectares a year in 2021–2025, against 745 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 in the Aland Islands?
The main causes of forest loss since 2001 are logging (97%), towns and roads (1.5%), farms, pasture and plantations (under 1%). About 332 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 in the Aland Islands?
The worst year was 2019, when about 1,710 hectares of forest 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 in the Aland Islands, 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.