Deforestation · 2001–2025
Deforestation in Lebanon
Since 2001, Lebanon has lost about 7,140 hectares of forest (about 10,000 football pitches): 11% of the forest it had in 2000. The biggest cause was wildfires (40%), after which forest can grow back. About 2,100 hectares (29%) was deforestation: forest cleared for good for farms, mines or towns.
- Forest in 2000
- 66,500 ha
- Forest lost since 2001
- 7,140 ha11% of it, about 10,000 football pitches
- Cleared for good
- 2,100 hadeforestation, 29% of the loss
- Worst year
- 2021618 ha lost
Map
Where Lebanon has lost forest
Every square kilometre of Lebanon 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 Lebanon, year by year
Forest loss is speeding up: about 503 hectares a year in 2021–2025, up from 334 hectares a year in 2016–2020. The worst year was 2021, when about 618 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 | 101 ha | 200 ha | 301 ha |
| 2002 | 58 ha | 23 ha | 81 ha |
| 2003 | 33 ha | 51 ha | 84 ha |
| 2004 | 36 ha | 75 ha | 110 ha |
| 2005 | 104 ha | 197 ha | 301 ha |
| 2006 | 60 ha | 90 ha | 150 ha |
| 2007 | 70 ha | 203 ha | 273 ha |
| 2008 | 139 ha | 255 ha | 394 ha |
| 2009 | 152 ha | 189 ha | 341 ha |
| 2010 | 59 ha | 56 ha | 115 ha |
| 2011 | 79 ha | 62 ha | 141 ha |
| 2012 | 82 ha | 85 ha | 167 ha |
| 2013 | 64 ha | 97 ha | 161 ha |
| 2014 | 61 ha | 95 ha | 156 ha |
| 2015 | 70 ha | 111 ha | 181 ha |
| 2016 | 90 ha | 179 ha | 269 ha |
| 2017 | 125 ha | 166 ha | 291 ha |
| 2018 | 84 ha | 170 ha | 254 ha |
| 2019 | 117 ha | 270 ha | 387 ha |
| 2020 | 94 ha | 376 ha | 470 ha |
| 2021 | 64 ha | 554 ha | 618 ha |
| 2022 | 76 ha | 438 ha | 514 ha |
| 2023 | 94 ha | 425 ha | 519 ha |
| 2024 | 104 ha | 413 ha | 517 ha |
| 2025 | 84 ha | 263 ha | 347 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 Lebanon?
- 29%cleared for good (deforestation)
- 69%can grow back (fire, logging, storms)
- 1.8%cause unknown
- Wildfires40% · 2,880 ha
Can grow back. Forest burned. It often grows back, though fire is sometimes used to clear land for good.
- Logging28% · 2,030 ha
Can grow back. Trees cut for timber or paper. The land usually stays forest and grows back.
- Towns and roads20% · 1,460 ha
Cleared for good. Forest replaced by houses, buildings and roads.
- Farms, pasture and plantations6.7% · 476 ha
Cleared for good. Forest cleared for crops, cattle pasture or tree plantations: the biggest cause of deforestation in the world.
- Mining and energy2.2% · 159 ha
Cleared for good. Forest cleared for mines, oil and gas, power lines and dams.
- Unknown causes1.8% · 127 ha
Cause unknown. The satellites saw the trees go, but not why.
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 Lebanon
How much forest has Lebanon lost since 2001?
Since 2001, Lebanon has lost about 7,140 hectares of forest (about 10,000 football pitches): 11% of the forest it had in 2000. The biggest cause was wildfires (40%), after which forest can grow back. About 2,100 hectares (29%) was deforestation: forest cleared for good for farms, mines or towns.
Is deforestation in Lebanon getting worse?
Forest loss is speeding up: about 503 hectares a year in 2021–2025, up from 334 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 Lebanon?
The main causes of forest loss since 2001 are wildfires (40%), logging (28%), towns and roads (20%). About 2,100 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 Lebanon?
The worst year was 2021, when about 618 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 Lebanon, 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.