Deforestation · 2001–2025
Deforestation in Azerbaijan
Since 2001, Azerbaijan has lost about 8,450 hectares of forest (about 12,000 football pitches): under 1% of the forest it had in 2000. The biggest cause was farms, pasture and plantations (32%). About 3,780 hectares (45%) was deforestation: forest cleared for good for farms, mines or towns.
- Forest in 2000
- 1.28 million ha
- Forest lost since 2001
- 8,450 haunder 1% of it, about 12,000 football pitches
- Cleared for good
- 3,780 hadeforestation, 45% of the loss
- Worst year
- 20021,150 ha lost
Map
Where Azerbaijan has lost forest
Every square kilometre of Azerbaijan 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 Azerbaijan, year by year
Forest loss is speeding up: about 203 hectares a year in 2021–2025, up from 43 hectares a year in 2016–2020. The worst year was 2002, when about 1,150 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 | 157 ha | 395 ha | 552 ha |
| 2002 | 658 ha | 492 ha | 1,150 ha |
| 2003 | 280 ha | 745 ha | 1,030 ha |
| 2004 | 213 ha | 366 ha | 579 ha |
| 2005 | 105 ha | 144 ha | 249 ha |
| 2006 | 213 ha | 316 ha | 529 ha |
| 2007 | 245 ha | 261 ha | 506 ha |
| 2008 | 234 ha | 238 ha | 472 ha |
| 2009 | 186 ha | 182 ha | 368 ha |
| 2010 | 217 ha | 326 ha | 543 ha |
| 2011 | 57 ha | 87 ha | 144 ha |
| 2012 | 381 ha | 216 ha | 597 ha |
| 2013 | 42 ha | 106 ha | 148 ha |
| 2014 | 61 ha | 268 ha | 329 ha |
| 2015 | 1 ha | 25 ha | 26 ha |
| 2016 | 5 ha | 20 ha | 25 ha |
| 2017 | 14 ha | 66 ha | 79 ha |
| 2018 | 34 ha | 42 ha | 75 ha |
| 2019 | 7 ha | 5 ha | 12 ha |
| 2020 | 15 ha | 8 ha | 23 ha |
| 2021 | 72 ha | 12 ha | 84 ha |
| 2022 | 134 ha | 13 ha | 147 ha |
| 2023 | 303 ha | 161 ha | 464 ha |
| 2024 | 110 ha | 59 ha | 169 ha |
| 2025 | 40 ha | 110 ha | 150 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 Azerbaijan?
- 45%cleared for good (deforestation)
- 38%can grow back (fire, logging, storms)
- 18%cause unknown
- Farms, pasture and plantations32% · 2,710 ha
Cleared for good. Forest cleared for crops, cattle pasture or tree plantations: the biggest cause of deforestation in the world.
- Logging24% · 2,020 ha
Can grow back. Trees cut for timber or paper. The land usually stays forest and grows back.
- Wildfires9.3% · 788 ha
Can grow back. Forest burned. It often grows back, though fire is sometimes used to clear land for good.
- Mining and energy8.8% · 739 ha
Cleared for good. Forest cleared for mines, oil and gas, power lines and dams.
- Storms, floods and other natural causes4.3% · 367 ha
Can grow back. Trees killed by storms, floods, landslides, pests or disease.
- Towns and roads4% · 335 ha
Cleared for good. Forest replaced by houses, buildings and roads.
- Unknown causes18% · 1,490 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.
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.
Frequently asked
Questions about deforestation in Azerbaijan
How much forest has Azerbaijan lost since 2001?
Since 2001, Azerbaijan has lost about 8,450 hectares of forest (about 12,000 football pitches): under 1% of the forest it had in 2000. The biggest cause was farms, pasture and plantations (32%). About 3,780 hectares (45%) was deforestation: forest cleared for good for farms, mines or towns.
Is deforestation in Azerbaijan getting worse?
Forest loss is speeding up: about 203 hectares a year in 2021–2025, up from 43 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 Azerbaijan?
The main causes of forest loss since 2001 are farms, pasture and plantations (32%), logging (24%), wildfires (9.3%). About 3,780 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 Azerbaijan?
The worst year was 2002, when about 1,150 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 Azerbaijan, 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.