Deforestation · 2001–2025
Deforestation in the Dominican Republic
Since 2001, the Dominican Republic has lost about 406,000 hectares of forest (about 4,100 km²): 16% of the forest it had in 2000. Most of it (78%) was deforestation, forest cleared for good, mainly for farms, pasture and plantations.
- Forest in 2000
- 2.59 million ha
- Forest lost since 2001
- 406,000 ha16% of it, about 4,100 km²
- Cleared for good
- 318,000 hadeforestation, 78% of the loss
- Worst year
- 201727,100 ha lost
Map
Where the Dominican Republic has lost forest
Every square kilometre of the Dominican Republic 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 Dominican Republic, year by year
Forest loss is slowing down: about 15,000 hectares a year in 2021–2025, down from 20,500 hectares a year in 2016–2020. The worst year was 2017, when about 27,100 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 | 9,610 ha | 1,720 ha | 11,300 ha |
| 2002 | 9,450 ha | 921 ha | 10,400 ha |
| 2003 | 9,580 ha | 1,110 ha | 10,700 ha |
| 2004 | 17,400 ha | 1,900 ha | 19,300 ha |
| 2005 | 14,900 ha | 10,200 ha | 25,100 ha |
| 2006 | 12,300 ha | 1,140 ha | 13,400 ha |
| 2007 | 14,400 ha | 1,640 ha | 16,100 ha |
| 2008 | 19,300 ha | 2,320 ha | 21,600 ha |
| 2009 | 12,800 ha | 1,150 ha | 14,000 ha |
| 2010 | 12,800 ha | 1,300 ha | 14,100 ha |
| 2011 | 11,900 ha | 1,120 ha | 13,000 ha |
| 2012 | 16,000 ha | 2,080 ha | 18,100 ha |
| 2013 | 9,340 ha | 3,400 ha | 12,700 ha |
| 2014 | 10,400 ha | 3,370 ha | 13,700 ha |
| 2015 | 9,620 ha | 5,550 ha | 15,200 ha |
| 2016 | 16,300 ha | 8,700 ha | 25,000 ha |
| 2017 | 21,200 ha | 5,880 ha | 27,100 ha |
| 2018 | 11,800 ha | 2,180 ha | 14,000 ha |
| 2019 | 11,800 ha | 3,200 ha | 15,000 ha |
| 2020 | 14,900 ha | 6,630 ha | 21,500 ha |
| 2021 | 10,700 ha | 3,530 ha | 14,200 ha |
| 2022 | 8,930 ha | 4,270 ha | 13,200 ha |
| 2023 | 13,800 ha | 9,310 ha | 23,100 ha |
| 2024 | 9,800 ha | 3,260 ha | 13,100 ha |
| 2025 | 9,320 ha | 2,150 ha | 11,500 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 Dominican Republic?
- 78%cleared for good (deforestation)
- 21%can grow back (fire, logging, storms)
- Farms, pasture and plantations74% · 301,000 ha
Cleared for good. Forest cleared for crops, cattle pasture or tree plantations: the biggest cause of deforestation in the world.
- Shifting farming12% · 48,100 ha
Can grow back. Small patches cleared to grow crops for a few seasons, then left to grow back.
- Wildfires7.8% · 31,800 ha
Can grow back. Forest burned. It often grows back, though fire is sometimes used to clear land for good.
- Towns and roads3.3% · 13,400 ha
Cleared for good. Forest replaced by houses, buildings and roads.
- Mining and energy1% · 4,140 ha
Cleared for good. Forest cleared for mines, oil and gas, power lines and dams.
Also, each under 1%: logging, 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 |
|---|---|---|---|
| Punta Cana | 4,430 ha | 37% | 4,340 ha |
| San Cristóbal | 2,300 ha | 14% | 2,060 ha |
| Santiago de los Caballeros | 1,780 ha | 23% | 1,770 ha |
| La Vega | 1,720 ha | 11% | 1,420 ha |
| Santo Domingo Oeste | 1,460 ha | 20% | 1,450 ha |
| Puerto Plata | 1,400 ha | 16% | 1,340 ha |
| Salvaleón de Higüey | 1,020 ha | 31% | 1,020 ha |
| San Francisco de Macorís | 859 ha | 5.6% | 831 ha |
| La Romana | 596 ha | 12% | 577 ha |
| San Pedro de Macorís | 509 ha | 19% | 503 ha |
Satellite timelapses of cities in the Dominican Republic
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 the Dominican Republic
How much forest has the Dominican Republic lost since 2001?
Since 2001, the Dominican Republic has lost about 406,000 hectares of forest (about 4,100 km²): 16% of the forest it had in 2000. Most of it (78%) was deforestation, forest cleared for good, mainly for farms, pasture and plantations.
Is deforestation in the Dominican Republic getting worse?
Forest loss is slowing down: about 15,000 hectares a year in 2021–2025, down from 20,500 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 Dominican Republic?
The main causes of forest loss since 2001 are farms, pasture and plantations (74%), shifting farming (12%), wildfires (7.8%). About 318,000 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 Dominican Republic?
The worst year was 2017, when about 27,100 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 Dominican Republic, 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.