Deforestation · 10 km around the city · 2001–2025
Deforestation around Iquitos
Since 2001, the area within 10 km of Iquitos has lost about 5,610 hectares of forest (about 7,900 football pitches): 27% of the forest it had in 2000. The biggest cause was shifting farming (37%), after which forest can grow back. About 1,790 hectares (32%) was deforestation: forest cleared for good for farms, mines or towns.
- Forest in 2000
- 21,100 hawithin 10 km of the centre
- Forest lost since 2001
- 5,610 ha27% of it, about 7,900 football pitches
- Cleared for good
- 1,790 hadeforestation, 32% of the loss
- Worst year
- 2009427 ha lost
Satellite timelapse
2017: satellite photo from August 2017 of a 5 × 5 km area about 7 km north-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 Iquitos, year by year
Forest loss has stayed about the same: about 243 hectares a year in 2021–2025, against 263 hectares a year in 2016–2020. The worst year was 2009, when about 427 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 | 65 ha | 134 ha | 199 ha |
| 2002 | 6 ha | 31 ha | 38 ha |
| 2003 | 18 ha | 52 ha | 71 ha |
| 2004 | 115 ha | 160 ha | 275 ha |
| 2005 | 173 ha | 188 ha | 361 ha |
| 2006 | 30 ha | 35 ha | 65 ha |
| 2007 | 13 ha | 61 ha | 75 ha |
| 2008 | 87 ha | 139 ha | 226 ha |
| 2009 | 147 ha | 280 ha | 427 ha |
| 2010 | 127 ha | 185 ha | 312 ha |
| 2011 | 67 ha | 115 ha | 182 ha |
| 2012 | 97 ha | 261 ha | 358 ha |
| 2013 | 22 ha | 77 ha | 99 ha |
| 2014 | 37 ha | 214 ha | 251 ha |
| 2015 | 27 ha | 114 ha | 140 ha |
| 2016 | 83 ha | 235 ha | 318 ha |
| 2017 | 95 ha | 243 ha | 338 ha |
| 2018 | 59 ha | 157 ha | 216 ha |
| 2019 | 66 ha | 150 ha | 216 ha |
| 2020 | 53 ha | 175 ha | 228 ha |
| 2021 | 61 ha | 142 ha | 203 ha |
| 2022 | 90 ha | 196 ha | 286 ha |
| 2023 | 106 ha | 187 ha | 293 ha |
| 2024 | 67 ha | 116 ha | 183 ha |
| 2025 | 76 ha | 173 ha | 249 ha |
Forest gained and lost, 2000–2020
- Forest in 2000
- 17,200 ha
- Forest in 2020
- 16,700 ha
- Overall change
- −561 haless forest than in 2000
Comparing satellite maps from 2000 and 2020, the forest around Iquitos shrank from about 17,200 hectares to 16,700 hectares, a net loss of about 561 hectares (−3.3%). New forest grew on about 1,180 hectares, but 1,740 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 Iquitos?
- 32%cleared for good (deforestation)
- 68%can grow back (fire, logging, storms)
- Shifting farming37% · 2,100 ha
Can grow back. Small patches cleared to grow crops for a few seasons, then left to grow back.
- Storms, floods and other natural causes31% · 1,720 ha
Can grow back. Trees killed by storms, floods, landslides, pests or disease.
- Farms, pasture and plantations20% · 1,140 ha
Cleared for good. Forest cleared for crops, cattle pasture or tree plantations: the biggest cause of deforestation in the world.
- Towns and roads12% · 650 ha
Cleared for good. Forest replaced by houses, buildings and roads.
Also, each under 1%: 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 |
|---|---|---|---|
| Pucallpa | 6,300 ha | 41% | 3,660 ha |
Use this data
Put Iquitos's forest loss on your site
Free to embed, with a link back to the full figures.
Frequently asked
Questions about deforestation around Iquitos
How much forest has Iquitos lost since 2001?
Since 2001, the area within 10 km of Iquitos has lost about 5,610 hectares of forest (about 7,900 football pitches): 27% of the forest it had in 2000. The biggest cause was shifting farming (37%), after which forest can grow back. About 1,790 hectares (32%) was deforestation: forest cleared for good for farms, mines or towns.
Is deforestation around Iquitos getting worse?
Forest loss has stayed about the same: about 243 hectares a year in 2021–2025, against 263 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 Iquitos?
The main causes of forest loss since 2001 are shifting farming (37%), storms, floods and other natural causes (31%), farms, pasture and plantations (20%). About 1,790 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 Iquitos?
The worst year was 2009, when about 427 hectares of forest were lost.
Is the forest around Iquitos growing or shrinking?
Comparing satellite maps from 2000 and 2020, the forest around Iquitos shrank from about 17,200 hectares to 16,700 hectares, a net loss of about 561 hectares (−3.3%). New forest grew on about 1,180 hectares, but 1,740 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 Iquitos 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 Iquitos, 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 Iquitos, 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.