Deforestation · 2001–2025
Deforestation in Bosnia and Herzegovina
Since 2001, Bosnia and Herzegovina has lost about 45,100 hectares of forest (about 63,000 football pitches): 1.7% of the forest it had in 2000. Most of it was lost to logging, so much of it can grow back. About 5,350 hectares (12%) was deforestation: forest cleared for good for farms, mines or towns.
- Forest in 2000
- 2.68 million ha
- Forest lost since 2001
- 45,100 ha1.7% of it, about 63,000 football pitches
- Cleared for good
- 5,350 hadeforestation, 12% of the loss
- Worst year
- 20044,180 ha lost
Map
Where Bosnia and Herzegovina has lost forest
Every square kilometre of Bosnia and Herzegovina 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 Bosnia and Herzegovina, year by year
Forest loss is speeding up: about 2,600 hectares a year in 2021–2025, up from 1,870 hectares a year in 2016–2020. The worst year was 2004, when about 4,180 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 | 94 ha | 1,560 ha | 1,650 ha |
| 2002 | 66 ha | 651 ha | 717 ha |
| 2003 | 25 ha | 280 ha | 305 ha |
| 2004 | 404 ha | 3,780 ha | 4,180 ha |
| 2005 | 97 ha | 493 ha | 590 ha |
| 2006 | 112 ha | 434 ha | 546 ha |
| 2007 | 234 ha | 2,440 ha | 2,670 ha |
| 2008 | 256 ha | 1,330 ha | 1,590 ha |
| 2009 | 337 ha | 948 ha | 1,290 ha |
| 2010 | 231 ha | 656 ha | 887 ha |
| 2011 | 194 ha | 797 ha | 991 ha |
| 2012 | 282 ha | 2,120 ha | 2,410 ha |
| 2013 | 239 ha | 2,340 ha | 2,580 ha |
| 2014 | 173 ha | 1,630 ha | 1,800 ha |
| 2015 | 104 ha | 476 ha | 580 ha |
| 2016 | 319 ha | 1,980 ha | 2,300 ha |
| 2017 | 208 ha | 1,150 ha | 1,350 ha |
| 2018 | 266 ha | 2,390 ha | 2,650 ha |
| 2019 | 161 ha | 1,060 ha | 1,220 ha |
| 2020 | 192 ha | 1,630 ha | 1,820 ha |
| 2021 | 178 ha | 836 ha | 1,010 ha |
| 2022 | 230 ha | 1,800 ha | 2,030 ha |
| 2023 | 462 ha | 3,460 ha | 3,920 ha |
| 2024 | 301 ha | 1,940 ha | 2,240 ha |
| 2025 | 183 ha | 3,600 ha | 3,790 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 Bosnia and Herzegovina?
- 12%cleared for good (deforestation)
- 79%can grow back (fire, logging, storms)
- 9.1%cause unknown
- Logging56% · 25,300 ha
Can grow back. Trees cut for timber or paper. The land usually stays forest and grows back.
- Wildfires21% · 9,550 ha
Can grow back. Forest burned. It often grows back, though fire is sometimes used to clear land for good.
- Towns and roads5.2% · 2,330 ha
Cleared for good. Forest replaced by houses, buildings and roads.
- Farms, pasture and plantations4% · 1,820 ha
Cleared for good. Forest cleared for crops, cattle pasture or tree plantations: the biggest cause of deforestation in the world.
- Mining and energy2.7% · 1,200 ha
Cleared for good. Forest cleared for mines, oil and gas, power lines and dams.
- Storms, floods and other natural causes1.9% · 837 ha
Can grow back. Trees killed by storms, floods, landslides, pests or disease.
- Unknown causes9.1% · 4,100 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 |
|---|---|---|---|
| Sarajevo | 319 ha | 2.3% | 201 ha |
| Zenica | 214 ha | 1.4% | 76 ha |
| Tuzla | 197 ha | 1.3% | 96 ha |
| Mostar | 171 ha | 2.9% | 30 ha |
| Banja Luka | 121 ha | under 1% | 42 ha |
Satellite timelapses of cities in Bosnia and Herzegovina
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 Bosnia and Herzegovina
How much forest has Bosnia and Herzegovina lost since 2001?
Since 2001, Bosnia and Herzegovina has lost about 45,100 hectares of forest (about 63,000 football pitches): 1.7% of the forest it had in 2000. Most of it was lost to logging, so much of it can grow back. About 5,350 hectares (12%) was deforestation: forest cleared for good for farms, mines or towns.
Is deforestation in Bosnia and Herzegovina getting worse?
Forest loss is speeding up: about 2,600 hectares a year in 2021–2025, up from 1,870 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 Bosnia and Herzegovina?
The main causes of forest loss since 2001 are logging (56%), wildfires (21%), towns and roads (5.2%). About 5,350 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 Bosnia and Herzegovina?
The worst year was 2004, when about 4,180 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 Bosnia and Herzegovina, 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.