Deforestation · 10 km around the city · 2001–2025
Deforestation around Cuiabá
Since 2001, the area within 10 km of Cuiabá has lost about 1,180 hectares of forest (about 1,700 football pitches): 20% of the forest it had in 2000. Most of it (99%) was deforestation, forest cleared for good, mainly for towns and roads.
- Forest in 2000
- 5,870 hawithin 10 km of the centre
- Forest lost since 2001
- 1,180 ha20% of it, about 1,700 football pitches
- Cleared for good
- 1,170 hadeforestation, 99% of the loss
- Worst year
- 2012122 ha lost
Satellite timelapse
2017: satellite photo from July 2017 of a 5 × 5 km area about 7 km east of the city centre.
Satellite photos of the same 5 × 5 km area, one per year, all taken in the same season so the colours compare. You can see forest being cleared and towns spreading, though not single trees. Download the before/after image (free to reuse with credit to Airleaf).
Year by year
Forest lost around Cuiabá, year by year
The worst year was 2012, when about 122 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 | 34 ha | 2 ha | 36 ha |
| 2002 | 50 ha | under 1 ha | 50 ha |
| 2003 | 15 ha | under 1 ha | 15 ha |
| 2004 | 42 ha | 3 ha | 45 ha |
| 2005 | 41 ha | under 1 ha | 41 ha |
| 2006 | 41 ha | under 1 ha | 41 ha |
| 2007 | 71 ha | under 1 ha | 71 ha |
| 2008 | 74 ha | under 1 ha | 74 ha |
| 2009 | 30 ha | under 1 ha | 30 ha |
| 2010 | 72 ha | 1 ha | 73 ha |
| 2011 | 59 ha | under 1 ha | 59 ha |
| 2012 | 121 ha | 1 ha | 122 ha |
| 2013 | 43 ha | under 1 ha | 43 ha |
| 2014 | 89 ha | under 1 ha | 90 ha |
| 2015 | 50 ha | under 1 ha | 50 ha |
| 2016 | 27 ha | under 1 ha | 27 ha |
| 2017 | 39 ha | under 1 ha | 39 ha |
| 2018 | 21 ha | under 1 ha | 21 ha |
| 2019 | 11 ha | under 1 ha | 12 ha |
| 2020 | 29 ha | under 1 ha | 30 ha |
| 2021 | 55 ha | 1 ha | 56 ha |
| 2022 | 42 ha | under 1 ha | 42 ha |
| 2023 | 29 ha | under 1 ha | 29 ha |
| 2024 | 30 ha | under 1 ha | 30 ha |
| 2025 | 53 ha | 1 ha | 54 ha |
Forest gained and lost, 2000–2020
- Forest in 2000
- 2,150 ha
- Forest in 2020
- 2,200 ha
- Overall change
- +42 hamore forest than in 2000
Comparing satellite maps from 2000 and 2020, the forest around Cuiabá stayed about the same size, at about 2,200 hectares: new forest grew on about 404 hectares, and about 361 hectares were lost.
These 2000 and 2020 maps, from the University of Maryland, count any land with trees taller than 5 m as forest, including plantations and orchards. Forest that was cut or burned and had grown back by 2020 counts in both years, so the loss here is smaller than the yearly figures.
Causes
What is causing deforestation around Cuiabá?
- 99%cleared for good (deforestation)
- under 1%can grow back (fire, logging, storms)
- Towns and roads66% · 777 ha
Cleared for good. Forest replaced by houses, buildings and roads.
- Mining and energy23% · 271 ha
Cleared for good. Forest cleared for mines, oil and gas, power lines and dams.
- Farms, pasture and plantations10% · 118 ha
Cleared for good. Forest cleared for crops, cattle pasture or tree plantations: the biggest cause of deforestation in the world.
Also, each under 1%: storms, floods and other natural causes, logging, unknown causes.
Causes for 2025 are estimates, based on what caused forest loss in the same places up to 2024.
Nearby cities losing forest
| City | Forest lost (10 km) | Share of its forest | Cleared for good |
|---|---|---|---|
| Porto Velho | 3,980 ha | 28% | 3,470 ha |
| Curitiba | 542 ha | 11% | 507 ha |
| Guarulhos | 414 ha | 6.6% | 405 ha |
| Marabá | 6,660 ha | 38% | 6,650 ha |
| Rio Branco | 3,200 ha | 29% | 3,200 ha |
| Manaus | 1,980 ha | 25% | 1,300 ha |
Use this data
Put Cuiabá's forest loss on your site
Free to embed, with a link back to the full figures.
Frequently asked
Questions about deforestation around Cuiabá
How much forest has Cuiabá lost since 2001?
Since 2001, the area within 10 km of Cuiabá has lost about 1,180 hectares of forest (about 1,700 football pitches): 20% of the forest it had in 2000. Most of it (99%) was deforestation, forest cleared for good, mainly for towns and roads.
What is causing deforestation around Cuiabá?
The main causes of forest loss since 2001 are towns and roads (66%), mining and energy (23%), farms, pasture and plantations (10%). About 1,170 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 around Cuiabá?
The worst year was 2012, when about 122 hectares of forest were lost.
Is the forest around Cuiabá growing or shrinking?
Comparing satellite maps from 2000 and 2020, the forest around Cuiabá stayed about the same size, at about 2,200 hectares: new forest grew on about 404 hectares, and about 361 hectares were lost. These 2000 and 2020 maps, from the University of Maryland, count any land with trees taller than 5 m as forest, including plantations and orchards. Forest that was cut or burned and had grown back by 2020 counts in both years, so the loss here is smaller than the yearly figures.
Can I see satellite images of Cuiabá over the years?
Yes. The timelapse at the top of this page has a satellite photo for every year from 2017 to 2026 of a 5 × 5 km area near Cuiabá, where the most forest was lost. Press play to watch it change, or turn on "Show cleared forest" to see exactly where trees 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 within 10 km of the centre of Cuiabá, 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.