Deforestation · 10 km around the city · 2001–2025
Deforestation around İzmir
Since 2001, the area within 10 km of İzmir has lost about 471 hectares of forest (about 660 football pitches): 24% of the forest it had in 2000. The biggest cause was wildfires (42%), after which forest can grow back. About 88 hectares (19%) was deforestation: forest cleared for good for farms, mines or towns.
- Forest in 2000
- 1,950 hawithin 10 km of the centre
- Forest lost since 2001
- 471 ha24% of it, about 660 football pitches
- Cleared for good
- 88 hadeforestation, 19% of the loss
- Worst year
- 202593 ha lost
Satellite timelapse
2017: satellite photo from August 2017 of a 5 × 5 km area about 7 km south-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 İzmir, year by year
The worst year was 2025, when about 93 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 | 2 ha | 11 ha | 14 ha |
| 2002 | 5 ha | 3 ha | 8 ha |
| 2003 | 7 ha | 1 ha | 8 ha |
| 2004 | 2 ha | under 1 ha | 3 ha |
| 2005 | under 1 ha | 2 ha | 2 ha |
| 2006 | 4 ha | under 1 ha | 4 ha |
| 2007 | 4 ha | 1 ha | 6 ha |
| 2008 | under 1 ha | 5 ha | 6 ha |
| 2009 | 1 ha | under 1 ha | 1 ha |
| 2010 | 1 ha | under 1 ha | 1 ha |
| 2011 | 3 ha | 2 ha | 4 ha |
| 2012 | 1 ha | 14 ha | 15 ha |
| 2013 | 23 ha | 1 ha | 24 ha |
| 2014 | 5 ha | 2 ha | 7 ha |
| 2015 | 2 ha | 8 ha | 10 ha |
| 2016 | under 1 ha | 5 ha | 5 ha |
| 2017 | 8 ha | 5 ha | 13 ha |
| 2018 | 1 ha | under 1 ha | 2 ha |
| 2019 | under 1 ha | 7 ha | 8 ha |
| 2020 | 1 ha | 84 ha | 85 ha |
| 2021 | 2 ha | 33 ha | 35 ha |
| 2022 | under 1 ha | 14 ha | 15 ha |
| 2023 | 4 ha | 23 ha | 27 ha |
| 2024 | 1 ha | 76 ha | 77 ha |
| 2025 | 8 ha | 85 ha | 93 ha |
Forest gained and lost, 2000–2020
- Forest in 2000
- 4,150 ha
- Forest in 2020
- 4,420 ha
- Overall change
- +271 hamore forest than in 2000
Comparing satellite maps from 2000 and 2020, the forest around İzmir grew from about 4,150 hectares to 4,420 hectares, a net gain of about 271 hectares (+6.5%). New forest grew on about 423 hectares, while 151 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 İzmir?
- 19%cleared for good (deforestation)
- 71%can grow back (fire, logging, storms)
- 10%cause unknown
- Wildfires42% · 199 ha
Can grow back. Forest burned. It often grows back, though fire is sometimes used to clear land for good.
- Logging29% · 135 ha
Can grow back. Trees cut for timber or paper. The land usually stays forest and grows back.
- Towns and roads17% · 80 ha
Cleared for good. Forest replaced by houses, buildings and roads.
- Mining and energy1.8% · 9 ha
Cleared for good. Forest cleared for mines, oil and gas, power lines and dams.
- Unknown causes10% · 49 ha
Cause unknown. The satellites saw the trees go, but not why.
Also, each under 1%: farms, pasture and plantations.
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 |
|---|---|---|---|
| Bursa | 376 ha | 3.5% | 241 ha |
Use this data
Put İzmir's forest loss on your site
Free to embed, with a link back to the full figures.
Frequently asked
Questions about deforestation around İzmir
How much forest has İzmir lost since 2001?
Since 2001, the area within 10 km of İzmir has lost about 471 hectares of forest (about 660 football pitches): 24% of the forest it had in 2000. The biggest cause was wildfires (42%), after which forest can grow back. About 88 hectares (19%) was deforestation: forest cleared for good for farms, mines or towns.
What is causing deforestation around İzmir?
The main causes of forest loss since 2001 are wildfires (42%), logging (29%), towns and roads (17%). About 88 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 İzmir?
The worst year was 2025, when about 93 hectares of forest were lost.
Is the forest around İzmir growing or shrinking?
Comparing satellite maps from 2000 and 2020, the forest around İzmir grew from about 4,150 hectares to 4,420 hectares, a net gain of about 271 hectares (+6.5%). New forest grew on about 423 hectares, while 151 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 İzmir 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 İzmir, 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 İzmir, 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.