Deforestation · 10 km around the city · 2001–2025
Deforestation around Hiroshima
Since 2001, the area within 10 km of Hiroshima has lost about 465 hectares of forest (about 650 football pitches): 4.9% of the forest it had in 2000. Most of it (93%) was deforestation, forest cleared for good, mainly for towns and roads.
- Forest in 2000
- 9,460 hawithin 10 km of the centre
- Forest lost since 2001
- 465 ha4.9% of it, about 650 football pitches
- Cleared for good
- 432 hadeforestation, 93% of the loss
- Worst year
- 200161 ha lost
Satellite timelapse
2017: satellite photo from July 2017 of a 5 × 5 km area about 7 km north 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 Hiroshima, year by year
The worst year was 2001, when about 61 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 | 60 ha | 1 ha | 61 ha |
| 2002 | 42 ha | 2 ha | 44 ha |
| 2003 | 6 ha | 4 ha | 11 ha |
| 2004 | 2 ha | 2 ha | 4 ha |
| 2005 | 8 ha | 1 ha | 9 ha |
| 2006 | 44 ha | under 1 ha | 44 ha |
| 2007 | 57 ha | 2 ha | 59 ha |
| 2008 | 14 ha | 2 ha | 16 ha |
| 2009 | 8 ha | under 1 ha | 9 ha |
| 2010 | 3 ha | 1 ha | 5 ha |
| 2011 | 4 ha | 1 ha | 5 ha |
| 2012 | 47 ha | 1 ha | 49 ha |
| 2013 | 28 ha | under 1 ha | 29 ha |
| 2014 | 4 ha | under 1 ha | 4 ha |
| 2015 | 6 ha | under 1 ha | 6 ha |
| 2016 | 9 ha | 1 ha | 10 ha |
| 2017 | 12 ha | under 1 ha | 12 ha |
| 2018 | 7 ha | under 1 ha | 7 ha |
| 2019 | 6 ha | under 1 ha | 6 ha |
| 2020 | 9 ha | under 1 ha | 9 ha |
| 2021 | 15 ha | under 1 ha | 16 ha |
| 2022 | 15 ha | under 1 ha | 15 ha |
| 2023 | 10 ha | 1 ha | 11 ha |
| 2024 | 7 ha | under 1 ha | 7 ha |
| 2025 | 10 ha | 7 ha | 17 ha |
Forest gained and lost, 2000–2020
- Forest in 2000
- 10,200 ha
- Forest in 2020
- 9,890 ha
- Overall change
- −275 haless forest than in 2000
Comparing satellite maps from 2000 and 2020, the forest around Hiroshima shrank from about 10,200 hectares to 9,890 hectares, a net loss of about 275 hectares (−2.7%). New forest grew on about 92 hectares, but 366 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 Hiroshima?
- 93%cleared for good (deforestation)
- 3.3%can grow back (fire, logging, storms)
- 3.8%cause unknown
- Towns and roads93% · 431 ha
Cleared for good. Forest replaced by houses, buildings and roads.
- Logging3.3% · 16 ha
Can grow back. Trees cut for timber or paper. The land usually stays forest and grows back.
- Unknown causes3.7% · 17 ha
Cause unknown. The satellites saw the trees go, but not why.
Also, each under 1%: mining and energy.
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 |
|---|---|---|---|
| Ulsan, South Korea | 1,060 ha | 8.7% | 609 ha |
| Suwon, South Korea | 503 ha | 7.2% | 437 ha |
| Sendai | 443 ha | 6.1% | 207 ha |
Use this data
Put Hiroshima's forest loss on your site
Free to embed, with a link back to the full figures.
Frequently asked
Questions about deforestation around Hiroshima
How much forest has Hiroshima lost since 2001?
Since 2001, the area within 10 km of Hiroshima has lost about 465 hectares of forest (about 650 football pitches): 4.9% of the forest it had in 2000. Most of it (93%) was deforestation, forest cleared for good, mainly for towns and roads.
What is causing deforestation around Hiroshima?
The main causes of forest loss since 2001 are towns and roads (93%), logging (3.3%), mining and energy (under 1%). About 432 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 Hiroshima?
The worst year was 2001, when about 61 hectares of forest were lost.
Is the forest around Hiroshima growing or shrinking?
Comparing satellite maps from 2000 and 2020, the forest around Hiroshima shrank from about 10,200 hectares to 9,890 hectares, a net loss of about 275 hectares (−2.7%). New forest grew on about 92 hectares, but 366 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 Hiroshima 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 Hiroshima, 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 Hiroshima, 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.