Deforestation · 10 km around the city · 2001–2025
Deforestation around Davao
Since 2001, the area within 10 km of Davao has lost about 1,330 hectares of forest (about 1,900 football pitches): 15% of the forest it had in 2000. Most of it (over 99%) was deforestation, forest cleared for good, mainly for towns and roads.
- Forest in 2000
- 8,780 hawithin 10 km of the centre
- Forest lost since 2001
- 1,330 ha15% of it, about 1,900 football pitches
- Cleared for good
- 1,320 hadeforestation, over 99% of the loss
- Worst year
- 2010205 ha lost
Satellite timelapse
2017: satellite photo from May 2017 of a 5 × 5 km area about 7 km north-west 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 Davao, year by year
Forest loss is slowing down: about 30 hectares a year in 2021–2025, down from 64 hectares a year in 2016–2020. The worst year was 2010, when about 205 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 | 30 ha | under 1 ha | 30 ha |
| 2002 | 28 ha | under 1 ha | 28 ha |
| 2003 | 12 ha | under 1 ha | 12 ha |
| 2004 | 40 ha | under 1 ha | 40 ha |
| 2005 | 31 ha | under 1 ha | 31 ha |
| 2006 | 75 ha | under 1 ha | 75 ha |
| 2007 | 63 ha | under 1 ha | 63 ha |
| 2008 | 20 ha | under 1 ha | 20 ha |
| 2009 | 70 ha | under 1 ha | 71 ha |
| 2010 | 204 ha | 1 ha | 205 ha |
| 2011 | 96 ha | under 1 ha | 96 ha |
| 2012 | 87 ha | under 1 ha | 87 ha |
| 2013 | 14 ha | under 1 ha | 14 ha |
| 2014 | 37 ha | under 1 ha | 37 ha |
| 2015 | 44 ha | under 1 ha | 44 ha |
| 2016 | 161 ha | under 1 ha | 161 ha |
| 2017 | 70 ha | under 1 ha | 70 ha |
| 2018 | 28 ha | under 1 ha | 28 ha |
| 2019 | 30 ha | under 1 ha | 30 ha |
| 2020 | 33 ha | under 1 ha | 33 ha |
| 2021 | 30 ha | under 1 ha | 30 ha |
| 2022 | 29 ha | under 1 ha | 29 ha |
| 2023 | 36 ha | under 1 ha | 36 ha |
| 2024 | 31 ha | under 1 ha | 31 ha |
| 2025 | 26 ha | under 1 ha | 26 ha |
Forest gained and lost, 2000–2020
- Forest in 2000
- 10,500 ha
- Forest in 2020
- 9,270 ha
- Overall change
- −1,280 haless forest than in 2000
Comparing satellite maps from 2000 and 2020, the forest around Davao shrank from about 10,500 hectares to 9,270 hectares, a net loss of about 1,280 hectares (−12%). New forest grew on about 110 hectares, but 1,380 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 Davao?
- over 99%cleared for good (deforestation)
- Towns and roads62% · 824 ha
Cleared for good. Forest replaced by houses, buildings and roads.
- Farms, pasture and plantations34% · 446 ha
Cleared for good. Forest cleared for crops, cattle pasture or tree plantations: the biggest cause of deforestation in the world.
- Mining and energy4% · 53 ha
Cleared for good. Forest cleared for mines, oil and gas, power lines and dams.
Also, each under 1%: 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 |
|---|---|---|---|
| Budta | 539 ha | 4.7% | 471 ha |
Use this data
Put Davao's forest loss on your site
Free to embed, with a link back to the full figures.
Frequently asked
Questions about deforestation around Davao
How much forest has Davao lost since 2001?
Since 2001, the area within 10 km of Davao has lost about 1,330 hectares of forest (about 1,900 football pitches): 15% of the forest it had in 2000. Most of it (over 99%) was deforestation, forest cleared for good, mainly for towns and roads.
Is deforestation around Davao getting worse?
Forest loss is slowing down: about 30 hectares a year in 2021–2025, down from 64 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 around Davao?
The main causes of forest loss since 2001 are towns and roads (62%), farms, pasture and plantations (34%), mining and energy (4%). About 1,320 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 Davao?
The worst year was 2010, when about 205 hectares of forest were lost.
Is the forest around Davao growing or shrinking?
Comparing satellite maps from 2000 and 2020, the forest around Davao shrank from about 10,500 hectares to 9,270 hectares, a net loss of about 1,280 hectares (−12%). New forest grew on about 110 hectares, but 1,380 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 Davao 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 Davao, 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 Davao, 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.