Deforestation · 2001–2025
Deforestation in Brunei
Since 2001, Brunei has lost about 44,900 hectares of forest (about 63,000 football pitches): 8.5% of the forest it had in 2000. Most of it (64%) was deforestation, forest cleared for good, mainly for farms, pasture and plantations.
- Forest in 2000
- 525,000 ha
- Forest lost since 2001
- 44,900 ha8.5% of it, about 63,000 football pitches
- Cleared for good
- 28,700 hadeforestation, 64% of the loss
- Worst year
- 20115,570 ha lost
Map
Where Brunei has lost forest
Every square kilometre of Brunei 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 Brunei, year by year
Forest loss is slowing down: about 1,000 hectares a year in 2021–2025, down from 1,380 hectares a year in 2016–2020. The worst year was 2011, when about 5,570 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 | 755 ha | 467 ha | 1,220 ha |
| 2002 | 776 ha | 318 ha | 1,090 ha |
| 2003 | 540 ha | 237 ha | 777 ha |
| 2004 | 1,030 ha | 347 ha | 1,380 ha |
| 2005 | 1,250 ha | 511 ha | 1,760 ha |
| 2006 | 725 ha | 372 ha | 1,100 ha |
| 2007 | 999 ha | 575 ha | 1,570 ha |
| 2008 | 782 ha | 696 ha | 1,480 ha |
| 2009 | 1,240 ha | 1,940 ha | 3,180 ha |
| 2010 | 842 ha | 755 ha | 1,600 ha |
| 2011 | 4,600 ha | 967 ha | 5,570 ha |
| 2012 | 4,200 ha | 874 ha | 5,080 ha |
| 2013 | 2,000 ha | 430 ha | 2,430 ha |
| 2014 | 1,360 ha | 1,170 ha | 2,530 ha |
| 2015 | 841 ha | 1,350 ha | 2,190 ha |
| 2016 | 1,490 ha | 1,180 ha | 2,680 ha |
| 2017 | 490 ha | 259 ha | 749 ha |
| 2018 | 365 ha | 534 ha | 899 ha |
| 2019 | 819 ha | 543 ha | 1,360 ha |
| 2020 | 771 ha | 463 ha | 1,230 ha |
| 2021 | 686 ha | 342 ha | 1,030 ha |
| 2022 | 626 ha | 408 ha | 1,030 ha |
| 2023 | 754 ha | 631 ha | 1,390 ha |
| 2024 | 543 ha | 416 ha | 959 ha |
| 2025 | 234 ha | 376 ha | 610 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 Brunei?
- 64%cleared for good (deforestation)
- 35%can grow back (fire, logging, storms)
- under 1%cause unknown
- Farms, pasture and plantations49% · 22,100 ha
Cleared for good. Forest cleared for crops, cattle pasture or tree plantations: the biggest cause of deforestation in the world.
- Logging29% · 13,000 ha
Can grow back. Trees cut for timber or paper. The land usually stays forest and grows back.
- Towns and roads9.1% · 4,090 ha
Cleared for good. Forest replaced by houses, buildings and roads.
- Mining and energy5.6% · 2,520 ha
Cleared for good. Forest cleared for mines, oil and gas, power lines and dams.
- Wildfires5.5% · 2,470 ha
Can grow back. Forest burned. It often grows back, though fire is sometimes used to clear land for good.
Also, each under 1%: shifting farming, storms, floods and other natural causes, 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 |
|---|---|---|---|
| Kuala Belait | 4,560 ha | 29% | 3,800 ha |
| Bandar Seri Begawan | 2,240 ha | 13% | 2,110 ha |
| Tutong | 1,910 ha | 14% | 1,640 ha |
Satellite timelapses of cities in Brunei
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 Brunei
How much forest has Brunei lost since 2001?
Since 2001, Brunei has lost about 44,900 hectares of forest (about 63,000 football pitches): 8.5% of the forest it had in 2000. Most of it (64%) was deforestation, forest cleared for good, mainly for farms, pasture and plantations.
Is deforestation in Brunei getting worse?
Forest loss is slowing down: about 1,000 hectares a year in 2021–2025, down from 1,380 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 Brunei?
The main causes of forest loss since 2001 are farms, pasture and plantations (49%), logging (29%), towns and roads (9.1%). About 28,700 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 Brunei?
The worst year was 2011, when about 5,570 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 Brunei, 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.