Deforestation · 2001–2025
Deforestation in Pakistan
Since 2001, Pakistan has lost about 10,300 hectares of forest (about 14,000 football pitches): 1% of the forest it had in 2000. Most of it was lost to logging, so much of it can grow back. About 784 hectares (7.6%) was deforestation: forest cleared for good for farms, mines or towns.
- Forest in 2000
- 1.03 million ha
- Forest lost since 2001
- 10,300 ha1% of it, about 14,000 football pitches
- Cleared for good
- 784 hadeforestation, 7.6% of the loss
- Worst year
- 20061,340 ha lost
Map
Where Pakistan has lost forest
Every square kilometre of Pakistan 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 Pakistan, year by year
Forest loss is speeding up: about 109 hectares a year in 2021–2025, up from 84 hectares a year in 2016–2020. The worst year was 2006, when about 1,340 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 | 56 ha | 163 ha | 219 ha |
| 2002 | 25 ha | 312 ha | 337 ha |
| 2003 | 50 ha | 598 ha | 648 ha |
| 2004 | 63 ha | 1,090 ha | 1,160 ha |
| 2005 | 25 ha | 931 ha | 956 ha |
| 2006 | 110 ha | 1,230 ha | 1,340 ha |
| 2007 | 62 ha | 1,120 ha | 1,190 ha |
| 2008 | 61 ha | 987 ha | 1,050 ha |
| 2009 | 36 ha | 869 ha | 905 ha |
| 2010 | 38 ha | 688 ha | 726 ha |
| 2011 | 22 ha | 452 ha | 474 ha |
| 2012 | 60 ha | 179 ha | 239 ha |
| 2013 | 15 ha | 45 ha | 60 ha |
| 2014 | 11 ha | 27 ha | 38 ha |
| 2015 | 2 ha | under 1 ha | 2 ha |
| 2016 | under 1 ha | under 1 ha | under 1 ha |
| 2017 | 11 ha | 180 ha | 191 ha |
| 2018 | 9 ha | 67 ha | 76 ha |
| 2019 | 13 ha | 71 ha | 83 ha |
| 2020 | 11 ha | 60 ha | 71 ha |
| 2021 | 9 ha | 53 ha | 62 ha |
| 2022 | 10 ha | 39 ha | 49 ha |
| 2023 | 46 ha | 118 ha | 164 ha |
| 2024 | 34 ha | 115 ha | 149 ha |
| 2025 | 9 ha | 115 ha | 123 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 Pakistan?
- 7.6%cleared for good (deforestation)
- 83%can grow back (fire, logging, storms)
- 9.3%cause unknown
- Logging69% · 7,100 ha
Can grow back. Trees cut for timber or paper. The land usually stays forest and grows back.
- Wildfires12% · 1,210 ha
Can grow back. Forest burned. It often grows back, though fire is sometimes used to clear land for good.
- Farms, pasture and plantations5.1% · 530 ha
Cleared for good. Forest cleared for crops, cattle pasture or tree plantations: the biggest cause of deforestation in the world.
- Storms, floods and other natural causes2.5% · 254 ha
Can grow back. Trees killed by storms, floods, landslides, pests or disease.
- Towns and roads2.1% · 219 ha
Cleared for good. Forest replaced by houses, buildings and roads.
- Unknown causes9.3% · 956 ha
Cause unknown. The satellites saw the trees go, but not why.
Also, each under 1%: 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.
Provinces that lost the most
| Province | Forest lost | Share of its forest | Cleared for good |
|---|---|---|---|
| Khyber Pakhtunkhwa | 4,830 ha | under 1% | 465 ha |
| Punjab | 464 ha | 1.1% | 212 ha |
| Azad Kashmir | 418 ha | under 1% | 65 ha |
| Gilgit-Baltistan | 125 ha | under 1% | 11 ha |
| Sindh | 16 ha | under 1% | 4 ha |
| Islamabad | 12 ha | under 1% | 7 ha |
| Balochistan | 2 ha | under 1% | under 1 ha |
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 |
|---|---|---|---|
| Battagram | 125 ha | 1.6% | 44 ha |
| Chunian | 43 ha | 28% | 40 ha |
| Islamabad | 20 ha | under 1% | 6 ha |
| Mingora | 8 ha | under 1% | under 1 ha |
| Muzaffarābād | 5 ha | under 1% | 1 ha |
| Karachi | 5 ha | under 1% | under 1 ha |
| Abbottabad | 3 ha | under 1% | under 1 ha |
| Lahore | 3 ha | — | 1 ha |
| Narowal | 3 ha | under 1% | 1 ha |
| New Mirpur City | 2 ha | — | 2 ha |
Frequently asked
Questions about deforestation in Pakistan
How much forest has Pakistan lost since 2001?
Since 2001, Pakistan has lost about 10,300 hectares of forest (about 14,000 football pitches): 1% of the forest it had in 2000. Most of it was lost to logging, so much of it can grow back. About 784 hectares (7.6%) was deforestation: forest cleared for good for farms, mines or towns.
Is deforestation in Pakistan getting worse?
Forest loss is speeding up: about 109 hectares a year in 2021–2025, up from 84 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 Pakistan?
The main causes of forest loss since 2001 are logging (69%), wildfires (12%), farms, pasture and plantations (5.1%). About 784 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 Pakistan?
The worst year was 2006, when about 1,340 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 Pakistan, 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.