Deforestation · 10 km around the city · 2001–2025
Deforestation around Kuala Lumpur
Since 2001, the area within 10 km of Kuala Lumpur has lost about 1,250 hectares of forest (about 1,800 football pitches): 25% 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
- 4,940 hawithin 10 km of the centre
- Forest lost since 2001
- 1,250 ha25% of it, about 1,800 football pitches
- Cleared for good
- 1,250 hadeforestation, over 99% of the loss
- Worst year
- 2004165 ha lost
Satellite timelapse
2017: satellite photo from February 2017 of a 5 × 5 km area about 6 km 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 Kuala Lumpur, year by year
Forest loss is slowing down: about 15 hectares a year in 2021–2025, down from 51 hectares a year in 2016–2020. The worst year was 2004, when about 165 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 | 64 ha | under 1 ha | 64 ha |
| 2002 | 116 ha | under 1 ha | 116 ha |
| 2003 | 38 ha | under 1 ha | 39 ha |
| 2004 | 165 ha | under 1 ha | 165 ha |
| 2005 | 86 ha | under 1 ha | 87 ha |
| 2006 | 76 ha | under 1 ha | 76 ha |
| 2007 | 74 ha | under 1 ha | 75 ha |
| 2008 | 50 ha | under 1 ha | 51 ha |
| 2009 | 59 ha | under 1 ha | 59 ha |
| 2010 | 63 ha | under 1 ha | 63 ha |
| 2011 | 27 ha | under 1 ha | 27 ha |
| 2012 | 33 ha | under 1 ha | 34 ha |
| 2013 | 2 ha | under 1 ha | 3 ha |
| 2014 | 32 ha | under 1 ha | 32 ha |
| 2015 | 32 ha | under 1 ha | 32 ha |
| 2016 | 72 ha | under 1 ha | 73 ha |
| 2017 | 61 ha | under 1 ha | 62 ha |
| 2018 | 70 ha | under 1 ha | 70 ha |
| 2019 | 43 ha | under 1 ha | 43 ha |
| 2020 | 9 ha | under 1 ha | 9 ha |
| 2021 | 18 ha | under 1 ha | 18 ha |
| 2022 | 10 ha | under 1 ha | 10 ha |
| 2023 | 13 ha | under 1 ha | 13 ha |
| 2024 | 12 ha | under 1 ha | 12 ha |
| 2025 | 21 ha | 1 ha | 22 ha |
Forest gained and lost, 2000–2020
- Forest in 2000
- 9,820 ha
- Forest in 2020
- 9,340 ha
- Overall change
- −481 haless forest than in 2000
Comparing satellite maps from 2000 and 2020, the forest around Kuala Lumpur shrank from about 9,820 hectares to 9,340 hectares, a net loss of about 481 hectares (−4.9%). New forest grew on about 962 hectares, but 1,440 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 Kuala Lumpur?
- over 99%cleared for good (deforestation)
- Towns and roads99% · 1,250 ha
Cleared for good. Forest replaced by houses, buildings and roads.
Also, each under 1%: mining and energy, 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 |
|---|---|---|---|
| Pekanbaru, Indonesia | 5,150 ha | 42% | 5,150 ha |
| Singapore, Singapore | 468 ha | 12% | 461 ha |
| Batam, Indonesia | 2,820 ha | 36% | 2,680 ha |
| Jambi City, Indonesia | 5,870 ha | 35% | 5,860 ha |
Use this data
Put Kuala Lumpur's forest loss on your site
Free to embed, with a link back to the full figures.
Frequently asked
Questions about deforestation around Kuala Lumpur
How much forest has Kuala Lumpur lost since 2001?
Since 2001, the area within 10 km of Kuala Lumpur has lost about 1,250 hectares of forest (about 1,800 football pitches): 25% 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 Kuala Lumpur getting worse?
Forest loss is slowing down: about 15 hectares a year in 2021–2025, down from 51 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 Kuala Lumpur?
The main causes of forest loss since 2001 are towns and roads (99%), mining and energy (under 1%). About 1,250 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 Kuala Lumpur?
The worst year was 2004, when about 165 hectares of forest were lost.
Is the forest around Kuala Lumpur growing or shrinking?
Comparing satellite maps from 2000 and 2020, the forest around Kuala Lumpur shrank from about 9,820 hectares to 9,340 hectares, a net loss of about 481 hectares (−4.9%). New forest grew on about 962 hectares, but 1,440 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 Kuala Lumpur 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 Kuala Lumpur, 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 Kuala Lumpur, 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.