Deforestation · 2001–2025
Deforestation in the Comoros
Since 2001, the Comoros has lost about 6,220 hectares of forest (about 8,700 football pitches): 4.9% of the forest it had in 2000. Most of it (52%) was deforestation, forest cleared for good, mainly for farms, pasture and plantations.
- Forest in 2000
- 126,000 ha
- Forest lost since 2001
- 6,220 ha4.9% of it, about 8,700 football pitches
- Cleared for good
- 3,210 hadeforestation, 52% of the loss
- Worst year
- 20131,530 ha lost
Map
Where the Comoros has lost forest
Every square kilometre of the Comoros 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 Comoros, year by year
Forest loss has stayed about the same: about 203 hectares a year in 2021–2025, against 214 hectares a year in 2016–2020. The worst year was 2013, when about 1,530 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 | 21 ha | 15 ha | 36 ha |
| 2002 | 16 ha | 25 ha | 41 ha |
| 2003 | 13 ha | 13 ha | 26 ha |
| 2004 | 15 ha | 26 ha | 41 ha |
| 2005 | 38 ha | 46 ha | 84 ha |
| 2006 | 7 ha | 6 ha | 13 ha |
| 2007 | 44 ha | 32 ha | 76 ha |
| 2008 | 20 ha | 14 ha | 34 ha |
| 2009 | 54 ha | 56 ha | 110 ha |
| 2010 | 46 ha | 45 ha | 91 ha |
| 2011 | 72 ha | 50 ha | 122 ha |
| 2012 | 64 ha | 36 ha | 100 ha |
| 2013 | 982 ha | 551 ha | 1,530 ha |
| 2014 | 960 ha | 443 ha | 1,400 ha |
| 2015 | 213 ha | 208 ha | 421 ha |
| 2016 | 38 ha | 66 ha | 104 ha |
| 2017 | 106 ha | 172 ha | 278 ha |
| 2018 | 63 ha | 110 ha | 173 ha |
| 2019 | 115 ha | 147 ha | 262 ha |
| 2020 | 62 ha | 191 ha | 253 ha |
| 2021 | 61 ha | 92 ha | 153 ha |
| 2022 | 40 ha | 101 ha | 140 ha |
| 2023 | 26 ha | 98 ha | 124 ha |
| 2024 | 97 ha | 391 ha | 488 ha |
| 2025 | 41 ha | 69 ha | 110 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 Comoros?
- 52%cleared for good (deforestation)
- 47%can grow back (fire, logging, storms)
- under 1%cause unknown
- Farms, pasture and plantations49% · 3,070 ha
Cleared for good. Forest cleared for crops, cattle pasture or tree plantations: the biggest cause of deforestation in the world.
- Shifting farming43% · 2,690 ha
Can grow back. Small patches cleared to grow crops for a few seasons, then left to grow back.
- Towns and roads2.3% · 146 ha
Cleared for good. Forest replaced by houses, buildings and roads.
- Storms, floods and other natural causes2.3% · 142 ha
Can grow back. Trees killed by storms, floods, landslides, pests or disease.
- Wildfires1.7% · 104 ha
Can grow back. Forest burned. It often grows back, though fire is sometimes used to clear land for good.
Also, each under 1%: logging, 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 |
|---|---|---|---|
| Fomboni | 909 ha | 6.4% | 362 ha |
| Moroni | 521 ha | 3.4% | 145 ha |
| Moutsamoudou | 431 ha | 2.5% | 179 ha |
Frequently asked
Questions about deforestation in the Comoros
How much forest has the Comoros lost since 2001?
Since 2001, the Comoros has lost about 6,220 hectares of forest (about 8,700 football pitches): 4.9% of the forest it had in 2000. Most of it (52%) was deforestation, forest cleared for good, mainly for farms, pasture and plantations.
Is deforestation in the Comoros getting worse?
Forest loss has stayed about the same: about 203 hectares a year in 2021–2025, against 214 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 Comoros?
The main causes of forest loss since 2001 are farms, pasture and plantations (49%), shifting farming (43%), towns and roads (2.3%). About 3,210 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 Comoros?
The worst year was 2013, when about 1,530 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 Comoros, 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.