Deforestation · 2001–2025
Deforestation in Somalia
Since 2001, Somalia has lost about 5,040 hectares of forest (about 7,100 football pitches): 5.7% of the forest it had in 2000. Most of it (87%) was deforestation, forest cleared for good, mainly for farms, pasture and plantations.
- Forest in 2000
- 89,200 ha
- Forest lost since 2001
- 5,040 ha5.7% of it, about 7,100 football pitches
- Cleared for good
- 4,400 hadeforestation, 87% of the loss
- Worst year
- 2019385 ha lost
Map
Where Somalia has lost forest
Every square kilometre of Somalia 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 Somalia, year by year
Forest loss has stayed about the same: about 161 hectares a year in 2021–2025, against 208 hectares a year in 2016–2020. The worst year was 2019, when about 385 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 | 254 ha | 90 ha | 344 ha |
| 2002 | 208 ha | 55 ha | 263 ha |
| 2003 | 90 ha | 18 ha | 107 ha |
| 2004 | 179 ha | 29 ha | 208 ha |
| 2005 | 254 ha | 20 ha | 274 ha |
| 2006 | 98 ha | 18 ha | 116 ha |
| 2007 | 224 ha | 47 ha | 271 ha |
| 2008 | 247 ha | 27 ha | 274 ha |
| 2009 | 283 ha | 30 ha | 313 ha |
| 2010 | 125 ha | 18 ha | 143 ha |
| 2011 | 153 ha | 34 ha | 187 ha |
| 2012 | 166 ha | 24 ha | 190 ha |
| 2013 | 230 ha | 88 ha | 318 ha |
| 2014 | 104 ha | 21 ha | 125 ha |
| 2015 | 63 ha | 3 ha | 66 ha |
| 2016 | 86 ha | 5 ha | 91 ha |
| 2017 | 283 ha | 47 ha | 330 ha |
| 2018 | 62 ha | 5 ha | 67 ha |
| 2019 | 365 ha | 20 ha | 385 ha |
| 2020 | 160 ha | 9 ha | 169 ha |
| 2021 | 221 ha | 6 ha | 227 ha |
| 2022 | 119 ha | 10 ha | 129 ha |
| 2023 | 102 ha | 3 ha | 105 ha |
| 2024 | 134 ha | 8 ha | 142 ha |
| 2025 | 187 ha | 13 ha | 200 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 Somalia?
- 87%cleared for good (deforestation)
- 7.2%can grow back (fire, logging, storms)
- 5.7%cause unknown
- Farms, pasture and plantations82% · 4,140 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 causes7.1% · 358 ha
Can grow back. Trees killed by storms, floods, landslides, pests or disease.
- Towns and roads5% · 253 ha
Cleared for good. Forest replaced by houses, buildings and roads.
- Unknown causes5.7% · 286 ha
Cause unknown. The satellites saw the trees go, but not why.
Also, each under 1%: logging, mining and energy, 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 |
|---|---|---|---|
| Baidoa | 1 ha | — | under 1 ha |
Frequently asked
Questions about deforestation in Somalia
How much forest has Somalia lost since 2001?
Since 2001, Somalia has lost about 5,040 hectares of forest (about 7,100 football pitches): 5.7% of the forest it had in 2000. Most of it (87%) was deforestation, forest cleared for good, mainly for farms, pasture and plantations.
Is deforestation in Somalia getting worse?
Forest loss has stayed about the same: about 161 hectares a year in 2021–2025, against 208 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 Somalia?
The main causes of forest loss since 2001 are farms, pasture and plantations (82%), storms, floods and other natural causes (7.1%), towns and roads (5%). About 4,400 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 Somalia?
The worst year was 2019, when about 385 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 Somalia, 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.