Deforestation · 2001–2025
Deforestation in Mayotte
Since 2001, Mayotte has lost about 2.96 million hectares of forest (about 30,000 km²): 12% of the forest it had in 2000. Most of it was lost to wildfires, so much of it can grow back. About 11,500 hectares (under 1%) was deforestation: forest cleared for good for farms, mines or towns.
- Forest in 2000
- 24.6 million ha
- Forest lost since 2001
- 2.96 million ha12% of it, about 30,000 km²
- Cleared for good
- 11,500 hadeforestation, under 1% of the loss
- Worst year
- 2005580,000 ha lost
Map
Where Mayotte has lost forest
Every square kilometre of Mayotte 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 Mayotte, year by year
Forest loss is speeding up: about 135,000 hectares a year in 2021–2025, up from 99,600 hectares a year in 2016–2020. The worst year was 2005, when about 580,000 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 | 189 ha | 15,200 ha | 15,400 ha |
| 2002 | 205 ha | 19,000 ha | 19,200 ha |
| 2003 | 160 ha | 17,600 ha | 17,800 ha |
| 2004 | 244 ha | 434,000 ha | 435,000 ha |
| 2005 | 239 ha | 580,000 ha | 580,000 ha |
| 2006 | 295 ha | 128,000 ha | 129,000 ha |
| 2007 | 362 ha | 84,000 ha | 84,400 ha |
| 2008 | 269 ha | 12,400 ha | 12,600 ha |
| 2009 | 405 ha | 27,700 ha | 28,100 ha |
| 2010 | 295 ha | 166,000 ha | 166,000 ha |
| 2011 | 248 ha | 40,000 ha | 40,200 ha |
| 2012 | 591 ha | 48,300 ha | 48,900 ha |
| 2013 | 510 ha | 121,000 ha | 122,000 ha |
| 2014 | 1,060 ha | 15,400 ha | 16,400 ha |
| 2015 | 154 ha | 70,800 ha | 71,000 ha |
| 2016 | 478 ha | 36,100 ha | 36,600 ha |
| 2017 | 426 ha | 184,000 ha | 184,000 ha |
| 2018 | 387 ha | 45,300 ha | 45,600 ha |
| 2019 | 641 ha | 150,000 ha | 151,000 ha |
| 2020 | 521 ha | 80,300 ha | 80,900 ha |
| 2021 | 483 ha | 55,200 ha | 55,700 ha |
| 2022 | 480 ha | 162,000 ha | 162,000 ha |
| 2023 | 418 ha | 156,000 ha | 156,000 ha |
| 2024 | 1,010 ha | 164,000 ha | 165,000 ha |
| 2025 | 1,440 ha | 133,000 ha | 134,000 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 Mayotte?
- 96%can grow back (fire, logging, storms)
- 3.8%cause unknown
- Wildfires95% · 2.81 million ha
Can grow back. Forest burned. It often grows back, though fire is sometimes used to clear land for good.
- Unknown causes3.8% · 113,000 ha
Cause unknown. The satellites saw the trees go, but not why.
Also, each under 1%: storms, floods and other natural causes, mining and energy, farms, pasture and plantations, logging, 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.
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 |
|---|---|---|---|
| Mamoudzou | 1,710 ha | 16% | 1,220 ha |
Satellite timelapses of cities in Mayotte
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 Mayotte
How much forest has Mayotte lost since 2001?
Since 2001, Mayotte has lost about 2.96 million hectares of forest (about 30,000 km²): 12% of the forest it had in 2000. Most of it was lost to wildfires, so much of it can grow back. About 11,500 hectares (under 1%) was deforestation: forest cleared for good for farms, mines or towns.
Is deforestation in Mayotte getting worse?
Forest loss is speeding up: about 135,000 hectares a year in 2021–2025, up from 99,600 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 Mayotte?
The main causes of forest loss since 2001 are wildfires (95%), storms, floods and other natural causes (under 1%), mining and energy (under 1%). About 11,500 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 Mayotte?
The worst year was 2005, when about 580,000 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 Mayotte, 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.