Deforestation · 2001–2025
Deforestation in Senegal
Since 2001, Senegal has lost about 5,440 hectares of forest (about 7,600 football pitches): 14% of the forest it had in 2000. Most of it (79%) was deforestation, forest cleared for good, mainly for farms, pasture and plantations.
- Forest in 2000
- 39,000 ha
- Forest lost since 2001
- 5,440 ha14% of it, about 7,600 football pitches
- Cleared for good
- 4,280 hadeforestation, 79% of the loss
- Worst year
- 2020761 ha lost
Map
Where Senegal has lost forest
Every square kilometre of Senegal 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 Senegal, year by year
Forest loss is slowing down: about 190 hectares a year in 2021–2025, down from 400 hectares a year in 2016–2020. The worst year was 2020, when about 761 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 | 61 ha | 10 ha | 71 ha |
| 2002 | 143 ha | 17 ha | 160 ha |
| 2003 | 31 ha | 7 ha | 37 ha |
| 2004 | 114 ha | 11 ha | 125 ha |
| 2005 | 57 ha | 15 ha | 72 ha |
| 2006 | 33 ha | 7 ha | 40 ha |
| 2007 | 147 ha | 24 ha | 171 ha |
| 2008 | 231 ha | 40 ha | 271 ha |
| 2009 | 141 ha | 17 ha | 158 ha |
| 2010 | 130 ha | 23 ha | 153 ha |
| 2011 | 97 ha | 17 ha | 114 ha |
| 2012 | 71 ha | 10 ha | 81 ha |
| 2013 | 288 ha | 96 ha | 384 ha |
| 2014 | 230 ha | 123 ha | 353 ha |
| 2015 | 214 ha | 84 ha | 298 ha |
| 2016 | 220 ha | 47 ha | 267 ha |
| 2017 | 305 ha | 86 ha | 391 ha |
| 2018 | 238 ha | 66 ha | 304 ha |
| 2019 | 205 ha | 73 ha | 278 ha |
| 2020 | 557 ha | 204 ha | 761 ha |
| 2021 | 128 ha | 50 ha | 178 ha |
| 2022 | 256 ha | 33 ha | 289 ha |
| 2023 | 119 ha | 41 ha | 160 ha |
| 2024 | 128 ha | 26 ha | 154 ha |
| 2025 | 136 ha | 34 ha | 170 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 Senegal?
- 79%cleared for good (deforestation)
- 20%can grow back (fire, logging, storms)
- 1.5%cause unknown
- Farms, pasture and plantations72% · 3,910 ha
Cleared for good. Forest cleared for crops, cattle pasture or tree plantations: the biggest cause of deforestation in the world.
- Shifting farming14% · 781 ha
Can grow back. Small patches cleared to grow crops for a few seasons, then left to grow back.
- Logging4.4% · 240 ha
Can grow back. Trees cut for timber or paper. The land usually stays forest and grows back.
- Towns and roads3.6% · 195 ha
Cleared for good. Forest replaced by houses, buildings and roads.
- Mining and energy3.3% · 178 ha
Cleared for good. Forest cleared for mines, oil and gas, power lines and dams.
- Storms, floods and other natural causes1% · 57 ha
Can grow back. Trees killed by storms, floods, landslides, pests or disease.
- Unknown causes1.6% · 86 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 |
|---|---|---|---|
| Ziguinchor | 100 ha | 23% | 99 ha |
| Kolda | 1 ha | — | 1 ha |
Frequently asked
Questions about deforestation in Senegal
How much forest has Senegal lost since 2001?
Since 2001, Senegal has lost about 5,440 hectares of forest (about 7,600 football pitches): 14% of the forest it had in 2000. Most of it (79%) was deforestation, forest cleared for good, mainly for farms, pasture and plantations.
Is deforestation in Senegal getting worse?
Forest loss is slowing down: about 190 hectares a year in 2021–2025, down from 400 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 Senegal?
The main causes of forest loss since 2001 are farms, pasture and plantations (72%), shifting farming (14%), logging (4.4%). About 4,280 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 Senegal?
The worst year was 2020, when about 761 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 Senegal, 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.