Deforestation · 2001–2025
Deforestation in the Solomon Islands
Since 2001, the Solomon Islands has lost about 226,000 hectares of forest (about 2,300 km²): 9.2% of the forest it had in 2000. Most of it was lost to logging, so much of it can grow back. About 13,600 hectares (6%) was deforestation: forest cleared for good for farms, mines or towns.
- Forest in 2000
- 2.47 million ha
- Forest lost since 2001
- 226,000 ha9.2% of it, about 2,300 km²
- Cleared for good
- 13,600 hadeforestation, 6% of the loss
- Worst year
- 201717,900 ha lost
Map
Where the Solomon Islands has lost forest
Every square kilometre of the Solomon Islands 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 the Solomon Islands, year by year
Forest loss is slowing down: about 10,300 hectares a year in 2021–2025, down from 16,100 hectares a year in 2016–2020. The worst year was 2017, when about 17,900 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 | 105 ha | 1,850 ha | 1,950 ha |
| 2002 | 179 ha | 3,200 ha | 3,380 ha |
| 2003 | 155 ha | 1,940 ha | 2,090 ha |
| 2004 | 91 ha | 3,150 ha | 3,240 ha |
| 2005 | 617 ha | 5,350 ha | 5,970 ha |
| 2006 | 1,070 ha | 3,640 ha | 4,710 ha |
| 2007 | 782 ha | 4,420 ha | 5,200 ha |
| 2008 | 554 ha | 6,530 ha | 7,080 ha |
| 2009 | 425 ha | 4,890 ha | 5,320 ha |
| 2010 | 349 ha | 5,320 ha | 5,670 ha |
| 2011 | 458 ha | 4,720 ha | 5,180 ha |
| 2012 | 866 ha | 6,930 ha | 7,790 ha |
| 2013 | 1,010 ha | 7,780 ha | 8,790 ha |
| 2014 | 922 ha | 14,200 ha | 15,100 ha |
| 2015 | 901 ha | 12,100 ha | 13,000 ha |
| 2016 | 985 ha | 15,600 ha | 16,600 ha |
| 2017 | 511 ha | 17,400 ha | 17,900 ha |
| 2018 | 390 ha | 16,400 ha | 16,800 ha |
| 2019 | 633 ha | 14,700 ha | 15,300 ha |
| 2020 | 616 ha | 13,000 ha | 13,600 ha |
| 2021 | 403 ha | 11,000 ha | 11,400 ha |
| 2022 | 490 ha | 12,800 ha | 13,300 ha |
| 2023 | 498 ha | 8,630 ha | 9,130 ha |
| 2024 | 299 ha | 10,100 ha | 10,400 ha |
| 2025 | 315 ha | 7,100 ha | 7,420 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 the Solomon Islands?
- 6%cleared for good (deforestation)
- 93%can grow back (fire, logging, storms)
- under 1%cause unknown
- Logging70% · 158,000 ha
Can grow back. Trees cut for timber or paper. The land usually stays forest and grows back.
- Shifting farming19% · 43,300 ha
Can grow back. Small patches cleared to grow crops for a few seasons, then left to grow back.
- Farms, pasture and plantations5.3% · 12,100 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 causes3.8% · 8,500 ha
Can grow back. Trees killed by storms, floods, landslides, pests or disease.
Also, each under 1%: towns and roads, wildfires, mining and energy, unknown causes.
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 |
|---|---|---|---|
| Honiara | 3,100 ha | 20% | 492 ha |
Satellite timelapses of cities in the Solomon Islands
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 the Solomon Islands
How much forest has the Solomon Islands lost since 2001?
Since 2001, the Solomon Islands has lost about 226,000 hectares of forest (about 2,300 km²): 9.2% of the forest it had in 2000. Most of it was lost to logging, so much of it can grow back. About 13,600 hectares (6%) was deforestation: forest cleared for good for farms, mines or towns.
Is deforestation in the Solomon Islands getting worse?
Forest loss is slowing down: about 10,300 hectares a year in 2021–2025, down from 16,100 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 the Solomon Islands?
The main causes of forest loss since 2001 are logging (70%), shifting farming (19%), farms, pasture and plantations (5.3%). About 13,600 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 the Solomon Islands?
The worst year was 2017, when about 17,900 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 the Solomon Islands, 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.