Deforestation · 2001–2025
Deforestation in Kazakhstan
Since 2001, Kazakhstan has lost about 90,400 hectares of forest (about 130,000 football pitches): 2.2% of the forest it had in 2000. The biggest cause was wildfires (46%), after which forest can grow back. About 3,600 hectares (4%) was deforestation: forest cleared for good for farms, mines or towns.
- Forest in 2000
- 4.12 million ha
- Forest lost since 2001
- 90,400 ha2.2% of it, about 130,000 football pitches
- Cleared for good
- 3,600 hadeforestation, 4% of the loss
- Worst year
- 202320,100 ha lost
Map
Where Kazakhstan has lost forest
Every square kilometre of Kazakhstan 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 Kazakhstan, year by year
Forest loss is speeding up: about 6,230 hectares a year in 2021–2025, up from 1,290 hectares a year in 2016–2020. The worst year was 2023, when about 20,100 hectares of forest were lost, mostly to wildfires.
Hectares of forest lost each year
Show the figures as a table
| Year | Cleared for good | Can grow back | Total |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2001 | 696 ha | 3,790 ha | 4,480 ha |
| 2002 | 391 ha | 2,520 ha | 2,910 ha |
| 2003 | 298 ha | 3,140 ha | 3,440 ha |
| 2004 | 195 ha | 5,300 ha | 5,500 ha |
| 2005 | 120 ha | 3,020 ha | 3,140 ha |
| 2006 | 219 ha | 2,800 ha | 3,020 ha |
| 2007 | 253 ha | 4,320 ha | 4,570 ha |
| 2008 | 184 ha | 4,310 ha | 4,490 ha |
| 2009 | 225 ha | 6,160 ha | 6,390 ha |
| 2010 | 158 ha | 2,940 ha | 3,100 ha |
| 2011 | 283 ha | 4,480 ha | 4,770 ha |
| 2012 | 162 ha | 3,520 ha | 3,680 ha |
| 2013 | 56 ha | 2,540 ha | 2,600 ha |
| 2014 | 15 ha | 567 ha | 582 ha |
| 2015 | 4 ha | 174 ha | 178 ha |
| 2016 | 34 ha | 1,230 ha | 1,270 ha |
| 2017 | 32 ha | 920 ha | 951 ha |
| 2018 | 26 ha | 1,110 ha | 1,140 ha |
| 2019 | 41 ha | 1,220 ha | 1,260 ha |
| 2020 | 36 ha | 1,800 ha | 1,840 ha |
| 2021 | 14 ha | 689 ha | 702 ha |
| 2022 | 21 ha | 3,600 ha | 3,620 ha |
| 2023 | 44 ha | 20,100 ha | 20,100 ha |
| 2024 | 58 ha | 2,830 ha | 2,890 ha |
| 2025 | 36 ha | 3,800 ha | 3,840 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 Kazakhstan?
- 4%cleared for good (deforestation)
- 86%can grow back (fire, logging, storms)
- 10%cause unknown
- Wildfires46% · 41,200 ha
Can grow back. Forest burned. It often grows back, though fire is sometimes used to clear land for good.
- Logging30% · 27,000 ha
Can grow back. Trees cut for timber or paper. The land usually stays forest and grows back.
- Storms, floods and other natural causes10% · 9,500 ha
Can grow back. Trees killed by storms, floods, landslides, pests or disease.
- Farms, pasture and plantations3.2% · 2,850 ha
Cleared for good. Forest cleared for crops, cattle pasture or tree plantations: the biggest cause of deforestation in the world.
- Unknown causes10% · 9,200 ha
Cause unknown. The satellites saw the trees go, but not why.
Also, each under 1%: mining and energy, towns and roads, shifting farming.
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.
Regions that lost the most
| Region | Forest lost | Share of its forest | Cleared for good |
|---|---|---|---|
| East Kazakhstan | 29,800 ha | 1.5% | 815 ha |
| Kostanay | 22,000 ha | 15% | 292 ha |
| North Kazakhstan | 13,300 ha | 3.1% | 346 ha |
| Aqmola | 9,050 ha | 3.4% | 104 ha |
| Pavlodar Region | 6,040 ha | 5.8% | 395 ha |
| Zhambyl | 1,880 ha | 1.9% | 231 ha |
| West Kazakhstan | 1,350 ha | 1.5% | 253 ha |
| Turkistan | 1,090 ha | 1.4% | 392 ha |
| Kyzylorda | 932 ha | 5.5% | 191 ha |
| Karaganda | 515 ha | 1.6% | 13 ha |
| Aktobe | 458 ha | 2.2% | 17 ha |
| Atyrau Oblisi | 224 ha | under 1% | 61 ha |
Cities that lost the most forest around them
Forest lost within 10 km of each city centre since 2001.
Frequently asked
Questions about deforestation in Kazakhstan
How much forest has Kazakhstan lost since 2001?
Since 2001, Kazakhstan has lost about 90,400 hectares of forest (about 130,000 football pitches): 2.2% of the forest it had in 2000. The biggest cause was wildfires (46%), after which forest can grow back. About 3,600 hectares (4%) was deforestation: forest cleared for good for farms, mines or towns.
Is deforestation in Kazakhstan getting worse?
Forest loss is speeding up: about 6,230 hectares a year in 2021–2025, up from 1,290 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 Kazakhstan?
The main causes of forest loss since 2001 are wildfires (46%), logging (30%), storms, floods and other natural causes (10%). About 3,600 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 Kazakhstan?
The worst year was 2023, when about 20,100 hectares of forest were lost, mostly to wildfires.
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 Kazakhstan, 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.