Deforestation · 2001–2025
Deforestation in Nepal
Since 2001, Nepal has lost about 61,600 hectares of forest (about 86,000 football pitches): 1.2% of the forest it had in 2000. Most of it (54%) was deforestation, forest cleared for good, mainly for farms, pasture and plantations.
- Forest in 2000
- 5.22 million ha
- Forest lost since 2001
- 61,600 ha1.2% of it, about 86,000 football pitches
- Cleared for good
- 33,100 hadeforestation, 54% of the loss
- Worst year
- 20095,510 ha lost
Map
Where Nepal has lost forest
Every square kilometre of Nepal 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 Nepal, year by year
Forest loss is speeding up: about 2,560 hectares a year in 2021–2025, up from 1,890 hectares a year in 2016–2020. The worst year was 2009, when about 5,510 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 | 873 ha | 653 ha | 1,530 ha |
| 2002 | 1,160 ha | 974 ha | 2,130 ha |
| 2003 | 1,110 ha | 1,200 ha | 2,310 ha |
| 2004 | 1,420 ha | 1,070 ha | 2,490 ha |
| 2005 | 1,490 ha | 1,290 ha | 2,790 ha |
| 2006 | 1,930 ha | 1,340 ha | 3,270 ha |
| 2007 | 1,820 ha | 1,660 ha | 3,480 ha |
| 2008 | 1,820 ha | 1,190 ha | 3,010 ha |
| 2009 | 2,700 ha | 2,810 ha | 5,510 ha |
| 2010 | 1,400 ha | 946 ha | 2,340 ha |
| 2011 | 1,600 ha | 1,270 ha | 2,860 ha |
| 2012 | 2,720 ha | 2,350 ha | 5,080 ha |
| 2013 | 419 ha | 423 ha | 842 ha |
| 2014 | 540 ha | 626 ha | 1,170 ha |
| 2015 | 292 ha | 284 ha | 576 ha |
| 2016 | 522 ha | 474 ha | 996 ha |
| 2017 | 545 ha | 1,900 ha | 2,440 ha |
| 2018 | 1,080 ha | 599 ha | 1,680 ha |
| 2019 | 1,300 ha | 788 ha | 2,090 ha |
| 2020 | 1,520 ha | 746 ha | 2,270 ha |
| 2021 | 1,640 ha | 1,210 ha | 2,850 ha |
| 2022 | 1,250 ha | 789 ha | 2,040 ha |
| 2023 | 1,280 ha | 994 ha | 2,270 ha |
| 2024 | 1,500 ha | 1,210 ha | 2,710 ha |
| 2025 | 1,190 ha | 1,730 ha | 2,920 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 Nepal?
- 54%cleared for good (deforestation)
- 34%can grow back (fire, logging, storms)
- 12%cause unknown
- Farms, pasture and plantations39% · 24,100 ha
Cleared for good. Forest cleared for crops, cattle pasture or tree plantations: the biggest cause of deforestation in the world.
- Towns and roads13% · 8,100 ha
Cleared for good. Forest replaced by houses, buildings and roads.
- Logging13% · 7,790 ha
Can grow back. Trees cut for timber or paper. The land usually stays forest and grows back.
- Storms, floods and other natural causes12% · 7,520 ha
Can grow back. Trees killed by storms, floods, landslides, pests or disease.
- Wildfires8% · 4,930 ha
Can grow back. Forest burned. It often grows back, though fire is sometimes used to clear land for good.
- Shifting farming1.4% · 892 ha
Can grow back. Small patches cleared to grow crops for a few seasons, then left to grow back.
- Mining and energy1.4% · 865 ha
Cleared for good. Forest cleared for mines, oil and gas, power lines and dams.
- Unknown causes12% · 7,400 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.
| City | Forest lost | Share of its forest | Cleared for good |
|---|---|---|---|
| Bharatpur | 494 ha | 3.4% | 452 ha |
| Butwāl | 327 ha | 2% | 156 ha |
| Kathmandu | 198 ha | 4.2% | 173 ha |
| Hetauda | 138 ha | under 1% | 107 ha |
| Birendranagar | 130 ha | under 1% | 71 ha |
| Lahān | 61 ha | 6.1% | 51 ha |
| Dharān | 61 ha | under 1% | 29 ha |
| Dhangaḍhi̇̄ | 32 ha | under 1% | 13 ha |
| Pokhara | 21 ha | under 1% | 12 ha |
| Biratnagar | 6 ha | — | 1 ha |
Frequently asked
Questions about deforestation in Nepal
How much forest has Nepal lost since 2001?
Since 2001, Nepal has lost about 61,600 hectares of forest (about 86,000 football pitches): 1.2% of the forest it had in 2000. Most of it (54%) was deforestation, forest cleared for good, mainly for farms, pasture and plantations.
Is deforestation in Nepal getting worse?
Forest loss is speeding up: about 2,560 hectares a year in 2021–2025, up from 1,890 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 Nepal?
The main causes of forest loss since 2001 are farms, pasture and plantations (39%), towns and roads (13%), logging (13%). About 33,100 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 Nepal?
The worst year was 2009, when about 5,510 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 Nepal, 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.