Deforestation · 2001–2025
Deforestation in Guadeloupe
Since 2001, Guadeloupe has lost about 3,200 hectares of forest (about 4,500 football pitches): 3.3% of the forest it had in 2000. Most of it (95%) was deforestation, forest cleared for good, mainly for farms, pasture and plantations.
- Forest in 2000
- 98,100 ha
- Forest lost since 2001
- 3,200 ha3.3% of it, about 4,500 football pitches
- Cleared for good
- 3,050 hadeforestation, 95% of the loss
- Worst year
- 2001334 ha lost
Map
Where Guadeloupe has lost forest
Every square kilometre of Guadeloupe 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 Guadeloupe, year by year
Forest loss is slowing down: about 42 hectares a year in 2021–2025, down from 68 hectares a year in 2016–2020. The worst year was 2001, when about 334 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 | 323 ha | 11 ha | 334 ha |
| 2002 | 65 ha | 4 ha | 69 ha |
| 2003 | 82 ha | 3 ha | 85 ha |
| 2004 | 235 ha | 13 ha | 248 ha |
| 2005 | 247 ha | 6 ha | 253 ha |
| 2006 | 75 ha | 4 ha | 79 ha |
| 2007 | 162 ha | 7 ha | 169 ha |
| 2008 | 147 ha | 5 ha | 152 ha |
| 2009 | 129 ha | 8 ha | 137 ha |
| 2010 | 118 ha | 11 ha | 129 ha |
| 2011 | 166 ha | 6 ha | 172 ha |
| 2012 | 296 ha | 18 ha | 314 ha |
| 2013 | 187 ha | 7 ha | 194 ha |
| 2014 | 236 ha | 7 ha | 243 ha |
| 2015 | 63 ha | 6 ha | 69 ha |
| 2016 | 68 ha | under 1 ha | 69 ha |
| 2017 | 50 ha | 6 ha | 56 ha |
| 2018 | 86 ha | 12 ha | 97 ha |
| 2019 | 63 ha | 4 ha | 67 ha |
| 2020 | 47 ha | 3 ha | 50 ha |
| 2021 | 66 ha | 1 ha | 67 ha |
| 2022 | 39 ha | under 1 ha | 40 ha |
| 2023 | 35 ha | 2 ha | 37 ha |
| 2024 | 29 ha | under 1 ha | 29 ha |
| 2025 | 37 ha | 2 ha | 39 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 Guadeloupe?
- 95%cleared for good (deforestation)
- 1.7%can grow back (fire, logging, storms)
- 2.9%cause unknown
- Farms, pasture and plantations80% · 2,550 ha
Cleared for good. Forest cleared for crops, cattle pasture or tree plantations: the biggest cause of deforestation in the world.
- Towns and roads15% · 488 ha
Cleared for good. Forest replaced by houses, buildings and roads.
- Storms, floods and other natural causes1.3% · 42 ha
Can grow back. Trees killed by storms, floods, landslides, pests or disease.
- Unknown causes2.9% · 91 ha
Cause unknown. The satellites saw the trees go, but not why.
Also, each under 1%: shifting farming, mining and energy.
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 |
|---|---|---|---|
| Basse-Terre | 271 ha | 2.5% | 251 ha |
| Les Abymes | 261 ha | 2.4% | 246 ha |
Frequently asked
Questions about deforestation in Guadeloupe
How much forest has Guadeloupe lost since 2001?
Since 2001, Guadeloupe has lost about 3,200 hectares of forest (about 4,500 football pitches): 3.3% of the forest it had in 2000. Most of it (95%) was deforestation, forest cleared for good, mainly for farms, pasture and plantations.
Is deforestation in Guadeloupe getting worse?
Forest loss is slowing down: about 42 hectares a year in 2021–2025, down from 68 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 Guadeloupe?
The main causes of forest loss since 2001 are farms, pasture and plantations (80%), towns and roads (15%), storms, floods and other natural causes (1.3%). About 3,050 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 Guadeloupe?
The worst year was 2001, when about 334 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 Guadeloupe, 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.