Deforestation · 2001–2025
Deforestation in Kyrgyzstan
Since 2001, Kyrgyzstan has lost about 2,670 hectares of forest (about 3,700 football pitches): under 1% of the forest it had in 2000. The biggest cause was logging (22%), after which forest can grow back. About 468 hectares (18%) was deforestation: forest cleared for good for farms, mines or towns.
- Forest in 2000
- 679,000 ha
- Forest lost since 2001
- 2,670 haunder 1% of it, about 3,700 football pitches
- Cleared for good
- 468 hadeforestation, 18% of the loss
- Worst year
- 2001589 ha lost
Map
Where Kyrgyzstan has lost forest
Every square kilometre of Kyrgyzstan 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 Kyrgyzstan, year by year
Forest loss is speeding up: about 50 hectares a year in 2021–2025, up from 23 hectares a year in 2016–2020. The worst year was 2001, when about 589 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 | 119 ha | 470 ha | 589 ha |
| 2002 | 52 ha | 252 ha | 304 ha |
| 2003 | 3 ha | 108 ha | 111 ha |
| 2004 | 44 ha | 149 ha | 192 ha |
| 2005 | 15 ha | 68 ha | 83 ha |
| 2006 | 12 ha | 98 ha | 110 ha |
| 2007 | 28 ha | 80 ha | 108 ha |
| 2008 | 19 ha | 88 ha | 107 ha |
| 2009 | 16 ha | 188 ha | 204 ha |
| 2010 | 97 ha | 164 ha | 261 ha |
| 2011 | 31 ha | 81 ha | 112 ha |
| 2012 | 9 ha | 76 ha | 85 ha |
| 2013 | under 1 ha | 26 ha | 27 ha |
| 2014 | under 1 ha | 14 ha | 14 ha |
| 2015 | under 1 ha | under 1 ha | under 1 ha |
| 2016 | under 1 ha | 12 ha | 12 ha |
| 2017 | 11 ha | 45 ha | 56 ha |
| 2018 | under 1 ha | 17 ha | 17 ha |
| 2019 | under 1 ha | 16 ha | 16 ha |
| 2020 | under 1 ha | 12 ha | 12 ha |
| 2021 | under 1 ha | 18 ha | 18 ha |
| 2022 | under 1 ha | 31 ha | 32 ha |
| 2023 | 3 ha | 108 ha | 111 ha |
| 2024 | 3 ha | 53 ha | 56 ha |
| 2025 | 3 ha | 32 ha | 35 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 Kyrgyzstan?
- 18%cleared for good (deforestation)
- 52%can grow back (fire, logging, storms)
- 31%cause unknown
- Logging22% · 587 ha
Can grow back. Trees cut for timber or paper. The land usually stays forest and grows back.
- Storms, floods and other natural causes18% · 490 ha
Can grow back. Trees killed by storms, floods, landslides, pests or disease.
- Farms, pasture and plantations16% · 424 ha
Cleared for good. Forest cleared for crops, cattle pasture or tree plantations: the biggest cause of deforestation in the world.
- Wildfires11% · 305 ha
Can grow back. Forest burned. It often grows back, though fire is sometimes used to clear land for good.
- Unknown causes31% · 820 ha
Cause unknown. The satellites saw the trees go, but not why.
Also, each under 1%: towns and roads, 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.
Frequently asked
Questions about deforestation in Kyrgyzstan
How much forest has Kyrgyzstan lost since 2001?
Since 2001, Kyrgyzstan has lost about 2,670 hectares of forest (about 3,700 football pitches): under 1% of the forest it had in 2000. The biggest cause was logging (22%), after which forest can grow back. About 468 hectares (18%) was deforestation: forest cleared for good for farms, mines or towns.
Is deforestation in Kyrgyzstan getting worse?
Forest loss is speeding up: about 50 hectares a year in 2021–2025, up from 23 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 Kyrgyzstan?
The main causes of forest loss since 2001 are logging (22%), storms, floods and other natural causes (18%), farms, pasture and plantations (16%). About 468 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 Kyrgyzstan?
The worst year was 2001, when about 589 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 Kyrgyzstan, 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.