Deforestation · 2001–2025
Deforestation in Dominica
Since 2001, Dominica has lost about 24,500 hectares of forest (about 34,000 football pitches): 37% of the forest it had in 2000. Most of it was lost to storms, floods and other natural causes, so much of it can grow back. About 2,860 hectares (12%) was deforestation: forest cleared for good for farms, mines or towns.
- Forest in 2000
- 66,700 ha
- Forest lost since 2001
- 24,500 ha37% of it, about 34,000 football pitches
- Cleared for good
- 2,860 hadeforestation, 12% of the loss
- Worst year
- 201722,600 ha lost
Map
Where Dominica has lost forest
Every square kilometre of Dominica 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 Dominica, year by year
Forest loss is slowing down: about 52 hectares a year in 2021–2025, down from 4,710 hectares a year in 2016–2020. The worst year was 2017, when about 22,600 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 | 11 ha | 10 ha | 21 ha |
| 2002 | 7 ha | 4 ha | 12 ha |
| 2003 | 14 ha | 11 ha | 26 ha |
| 2004 | 25 ha | 48 ha | 73 ha |
| 2005 | 20 ha | 27 ha | 47 ha |
| 2006 | 7 ha | 11 ha | 18 ha |
| 2007 | 21 ha | 17 ha | 38 ha |
| 2008 | 40 ha | 40 ha | 80 ha |
| 2009 | 25 ha | 46 ha | 71 ha |
| 2010 | 35 ha | 54 ha | 88 ha |
| 2011 | 10 ha | 31 ha | 41 ha |
| 2012 | 66 ha | 70 ha | 136 ha |
| 2013 | 11 ha | 9 ha | 20 ha |
| 2014 | 7 ha | 5 ha | 11 ha |
| 2015 | 1 ha | under 1 ha | 2 ha |
| 2016 | 4 ha | 4 ha | 7 ha |
| 2017 | 2,240 ha | 20,400 ha | 22,600 ha |
| 2018 | 24 ha | 752 ha | 775 ha |
| 2019 | 36 ha | 20 ha | 56 ha |
| 2020 | 37 ha | 27 ha | 64 ha |
| 2021 | 23 ha | 7 ha | 30 ha |
| 2022 | 16 ha | 14 ha | 31 ha |
| 2023 | 122 ha | 8 ha | 130 ha |
| 2024 | 34 ha | 7 ha | 41 ha |
| 2025 | 18 ha | 8 ha | 26 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 Dominica?
- 12%cleared for good (deforestation)
- 88%can grow back (fire, logging, storms)
- Storms, floods and other natural causes85% · 20,900 ha
Can grow back. Trees killed by storms, floods, landslides, pests or disease.
- Farms, pasture and plantations9.9% · 2,410 ha
Cleared for good. Forest cleared for crops, cattle pasture or tree plantations: the biggest cause of deforestation in the world.
- Shifting farming2% · 497 ha
Can grow back. Small patches cleared to grow crops for a few seasons, then left to grow back.
- Towns and roads1.2% · 283 ha
Cleared for good. Forest replaced by houses, buildings and roads.
Also, each under 1%: mining and energy, wildfires, 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 |
|---|---|---|---|
| Roseau | 2,400 ha | 17% | 294 ha |
Satellite timelapses of cities in Dominica
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 Dominica
How much forest has Dominica lost since 2001?
Since 2001, Dominica has lost about 24,500 hectares of forest (about 34,000 football pitches): 37% of the forest it had in 2000. Most of it was lost to storms, floods and other natural causes, so much of it can grow back. About 2,860 hectares (12%) was deforestation: forest cleared for good for farms, mines or towns.
Is deforestation in Dominica getting worse?
Forest loss is slowing down: about 52 hectares a year in 2021–2025, down from 4,710 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 Dominica?
The main causes of forest loss since 2001 are storms, floods and other natural causes (85%), farms, pasture and plantations (9.9%), shifting farming (2%). About 2,860 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 Dominica?
The worst year was 2017, when about 22,600 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 Dominica, 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.