Deforestation · 2001–2025
Deforestation in Bhutan
Since 2001, Bhutan has lost about 31,800 hectares of forest (about 44,000 football pitches): 1.2% of the forest it had in 2000. The biggest cause was farms, pasture and plantations (26%). About 12,200 hectares (38%) was deforestation: forest cleared for good for farms, mines or towns.
- Forest in 2000
- 2.59 million ha
- Forest lost since 2001
- 31,800 ha1.2% of it, about 44,000 football pitches
- Cleared for good
- 12,200 hadeforestation, 38% of the loss
- Worst year
- 20104,470 ha lost
Map
Where Bhutan has lost forest
Every square kilometre of Bhutan 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 Bhutan, year by year
Forest loss has stayed about the same: about 1,840 hectares a year in 2021–2025, against 1,470 hectares a year in 2016–2020. The worst year was 2010, when about 4,470 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 | 55 ha | 249 ha | 303 ha |
| 2002 | 34 ha | 198 ha | 231 ha |
| 2003 | 244 ha | 309 ha | 553 ha |
| 2004 | 423 ha | 625 ha | 1,050 ha |
| 2005 | 263 ha | 535 ha | 798 ha |
| 2006 | 178 ha | 459 ha | 637 ha |
| 2007 | 177 ha | 364 ha | 541 ha |
| 2008 | 306 ha | 523 ha | 829 ha |
| 2009 | 463 ha | 764 ha | 1,230 ha |
| 2010 | 2,180 ha | 2,290 ha | 4,470 ha |
| 2011 | 463 ha | 690 ha | 1,150 ha |
| 2012 | 406 ha | 422 ha | 828 ha |
| 2013 | 284 ha | 244 ha | 528 ha |
| 2014 | 613 ha | 670 ha | 1,280 ha |
| 2015 | 352 ha | 410 ha | 762 ha |
| 2016 | 796 ha | 1,180 ha | 1,980 ha |
| 2017 | 638 ha | 1,350 ha | 1,990 ha |
| 2018 | 387 ha | 876 ha | 1,260 ha |
| 2019 | 332 ha | 527 ha | 859 ha |
| 2020 | 559 ha | 718 ha | 1,280 ha |
| 2021 | 569 ha | 741 ha | 1,310 ha |
| 2022 | 545 ha | 735 ha | 1,280 ha |
| 2023 | 572 ha | 1,240 ha | 1,810 ha |
| 2024 | 512 ha | 747 ha | 1,260 ha |
| 2025 | 862 ha | 2,680 ha | 3,540 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 Bhutan?
- 38%cleared for good (deforestation)
- 52%can grow back (fire, logging, storms)
- 10%cause unknown
- Farms, pasture and plantations26% · 8,300 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 causes20% · 6,450 ha
Can grow back. Trees killed by storms, floods, landslides, pests or disease.
- Logging15% · 4,690 ha
Can grow back. Trees cut for timber or paper. The land usually stays forest and grows back.
- Wildfires12% · 3,740 ha
Can grow back. Forest burned. It often grows back, though fire is sometimes used to clear land for good.
- Towns and roads9.6% · 3,040 ha
Cleared for good. Forest replaced by houses, buildings and roads.
- Shifting farming4.8% · 1,510 ha
Can grow back. Small patches cleared to grow crops for a few seasons, then left to grow back.
- Mining and energy2.7% · 863 ha
Cleared for good. Forest cleared for mines, oil and gas, power lines and dams.
- Unknown causes10% · 3,170 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.
| City | Forest lost | Share of its forest | Cleared for good |
|---|---|---|---|
| Phuntsholing | 953 ha | 5.8% | 590 ha |
| Tsirang | 691 ha | 2.9% | 618 ha |
| Thimphu | 398 ha | 1.8% | 165 ha |
| Punākha | 329 ha | 1.4% | 264 ha |
Satellite timelapses of cities in Bhutan
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 Bhutan
How much forest has Bhutan lost since 2001?
Since 2001, Bhutan has lost about 31,800 hectares of forest (about 44,000 football pitches): 1.2% of the forest it had in 2000. The biggest cause was farms, pasture and plantations (26%). About 12,200 hectares (38%) was deforestation: forest cleared for good for farms, mines or towns.
Is deforestation in Bhutan getting worse?
Forest loss has stayed about the same: about 1,840 hectares a year in 2021–2025, against 1,470 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 Bhutan?
The main causes of forest loss since 2001 are farms, pasture and plantations (26%), storms, floods and other natural causes (20%), logging (15%). About 12,200 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 Bhutan?
The worst year was 2010, when about 4,470 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 Bhutan, 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.