Deforestation · 10 km around the city · 2001–2025
Deforestation around Kananga
Since 2001, the area within 10 km of Kananga has lost about 3,520 hectares of forest (about 4,900 football pitches): 27% of the forest it had in 2000. Most of it was lost to shifting farming, so much of it can grow back. About 902 hectares (26%) was deforestation: forest cleared for good for farms, mines or towns.
- Forest in 2000
- 13,100 hawithin 10 km of the centre
- Forest lost since 2001
- 3,520 ha27% of it, about 4,900 football pitches
- Cleared for good
- 902 hadeforestation, 26% of the loss
- Worst year
- 2010351 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 Kananga, year by year
Forest loss has stayed about the same: about 181 hectares a year in 2021–2025, against 164 hectares a year in 2016–2020. The worst year was 2010, when about 351 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 | 33 ha | 157 ha | 190 ha |
| 2002 | 84 ha | 103 ha | 187 ha |
| 2003 | 5 ha | 5 ha | 10 ha |
| 2004 | 49 ha | 76 ha | 125 ha |
| 2005 | 30 ha | 67 ha | 97 ha |
| 2006 | 19 ha | 61 ha | 81 ha |
| 2007 | 3 ha | 12 ha | 15 ha |
| 2008 | 28 ha | 109 ha | 137 ha |
| 2009 | 11 ha | 31 ha | 43 ha |
| 2010 | 127 ha | 224 ha | 351 ha |
| 2011 | under 1 ha | 2 ha | 2 ha |
| 2012 | 32 ha | 54 ha | 86 ha |
| 2013 | 29 ha | 97 ha | 126 ha |
| 2014 | 47 ha | 189 ha | 236 ha |
| 2015 | 17 ha | 88 ha | 105 ha |
| 2016 | 27 ha | 96 ha | 123 ha |
| 2017 | 45 ha | 239 ha | 284 ha |
| 2018 | 37 ha | 150 ha | 187 ha |
| 2019 | 16 ha | 60 ha | 75 ha |
| 2020 | 52 ha | 100 ha | 152 ha |
| 2021 | 63 ha | 137 ha | 200 ha |
| 2022 | 35 ha | 109 ha | 144 ha |
| 2023 | 48 ha | 150 ha | 198 ha |
| 2024 | 40 ha | 171 ha | 211 ha |
| 2025 | 25 ha | 127 ha | 152 ha |
Forest gained and lost, 2000–2020
- Forest in 2000
- 8,270 ha
- Forest in 2020
- 8,050 ha
- Overall change
- −221 haless forest than in 2000
Comparing satellite maps from 2000 and 2020, the forest around Kananga shrank from about 8,270 hectares to 8,050 hectares, a net loss of about 221 hectares (−2.7%). New forest grew on about 399 hectares, but 620 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 Kananga?
- 26%cleared for good (deforestation)
- 74%can grow back (fire, logging, storms)
- Shifting farming74% · 2,610 ha
Can grow back. Small patches cleared to grow crops for a few seasons, then left to grow back.
- Farms, pasture and plantations17% · 609 ha
Cleared for good. Forest cleared for crops, cattle pasture or tree plantations: the biggest cause of deforestation in the world.
- Towns and roads7.8% · 274 ha
Cleared for good. Forest replaced by houses, buildings and roads.
Also, each under 1%: mining and energy, storms, floods and other natural causes, 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 |
|---|---|---|---|
| Kisangani | 15,900 ha | 64% | 5,320 ha |
Use this data
Put Kananga's forest loss on your site
Free to embed, with a link back to the full figures.
Frequently asked
Questions about deforestation around Kananga
How much forest has Kananga lost since 2001?
Since 2001, the area within 10 km of Kananga has lost about 3,520 hectares of forest (about 4,900 football pitches): 27% of the forest it had in 2000. Most of it was lost to shifting farming, so much of it can grow back. About 902 hectares (26%) was deforestation: forest cleared for good for farms, mines or towns.
Is deforestation around Kananga getting worse?
Forest loss has stayed about the same: about 181 hectares a year in 2021–2025, against 164 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 Kananga?
The main causes of forest loss since 2001 are shifting farming (74%), farms, pasture and plantations (17%), towns and roads (7.8%). About 902 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 Kananga?
The worst year was 2010, when about 351 hectares of forest were lost.
Is the forest around Kananga growing or shrinking?
Comparing satellite maps from 2000 and 2020, the forest around Kananga shrank from about 8,270 hectares to 8,050 hectares, a net loss of about 221 hectares (−2.7%). New forest grew on about 399 hectares, but 620 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 Kananga 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 Kananga, 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 Kananga, 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.