Deforestation · 10 km around the city · 2001–2025
Deforestation around Mbabane
Since 2001, the area within 10 km of Mbabane has lost about 3,500 hectares of forest (about 4,900 football pitches): 39% of the forest it had in 2000. Most of it was lost to logging, so much of it can grow back. About 483 hectares (14%) was deforestation: forest cleared for good for farms, mines or towns.
- Forest in 2000
- 9,010 hawithin 10 km of the centre
- Forest lost since 2001
- 3,500 ha39% of it, about 4,900 football pitches
- Cleared for good
- 483 hadeforestation, 14% of the loss
- Worst year
- 2017350 ha lost
Satellite timelapse
2017: satellite photo from August 2017 of a 5 × 5 km area about 6 km south-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 Mbabane, year by year
Forest loss is slowing down: about 128 hectares a year in 2021–2025, down from 199 hectares a year in 2016–2020. The worst year was 2017, when about 350 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 | 19 ha | 104 ha | 123 ha |
| 2002 | 4 ha | 32 ha | 35 ha |
| 2003 | 12 ha | 222 ha | 234 ha |
| 2004 | 25 ha | 189 ha | 213 ha |
| 2005 | 8 ha | 60 ha | 68 ha |
| 2006 | 39 ha | 207 ha | 246 ha |
| 2007 | 18 ha | 175 ha | 193 ha |
| 2008 | 13 ha | 30 ha | 43 ha |
| 2009 | 32 ha | 108 ha | 140 ha |
| 2010 | 23 ha | 68 ha | 91 ha |
| 2011 | 7 ha | 100 ha | 107 ha |
| 2012 | 8 ha | 71 ha | 79 ha |
| 2013 | 19 ha | 77 ha | 96 ha |
| 2014 | 36 ha | 108 ha | 144 ha |
| 2015 | 14 ha | 41 ha | 55 ha |
| 2016 | 33 ha | 98 ha | 131 ha |
| 2017 | 59 ha | 291 ha | 350 ha |
| 2018 | 9 ha | 64 ha | 74 ha |
| 2019 | 41 ha | 194 ha | 235 ha |
| 2020 | 5 ha | 200 ha | 205 ha |
| 2021 | 14 ha | 198 ha | 212 ha |
| 2022 | 8 ha | 95 ha | 103 ha |
| 2023 | 18 ha | 71 ha | 89 ha |
| 2024 | 10 ha | 119 ha | 129 ha |
| 2025 | 9 ha | 96 ha | 105 ha |
Forest gained and lost, 2000–2020
- Forest in 2000
- 12,300 ha
- Forest in 2020
- 11,600 ha
- Overall change
- −746 haless forest than in 2000
Comparing satellite maps from 2000 and 2020, the forest around Mbabane shrank from about 12,300 hectares to 11,600 hectares, a net loss of about 746 hectares (−6.1%). New forest grew on about 302 hectares, but 1,050 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 Mbabane?
- 14%cleared for good (deforestation)
- 86%can grow back (fire, logging, storms)
- Logging86% · 3,000 ha
Can grow back. Trees cut for timber or paper. The land usually stays forest and grows back.
- Towns and roads8.7% · 303 ha
Cleared for good. Forest replaced by houses, buildings and roads.
- Farms, pasture and plantations5.1% · 180 ha
Cleared for good. Forest cleared for crops, cattle pasture or tree plantations: the biggest cause of deforestation in the world.
Also, each under 1%: wildfires, unknown causes.
Causes for 2025 are estimates, based on what caused forest loss in the same places up to 2024.
Use this data
Put Mbabane's forest loss on your site
Free to embed, with a link back to the full figures.
Frequently asked
Questions about deforestation around Mbabane
How much forest has Mbabane lost since 2001?
Since 2001, the area within 10 km of Mbabane has lost about 3,500 hectares of forest (about 4,900 football pitches): 39% of the forest it had in 2000. Most of it was lost to logging, so much of it can grow back. About 483 hectares (14%) was deforestation: forest cleared for good for farms, mines or towns.
Is deforestation around Mbabane getting worse?
Forest loss is slowing down: about 128 hectares a year in 2021–2025, down from 199 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 Mbabane?
The main causes of forest loss since 2001 are logging (86%), towns and roads (8.7%), farms, pasture and plantations (5.1%). About 483 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 Mbabane?
The worst year was 2017, when about 350 hectares of forest were lost.
Is the forest around Mbabane growing or shrinking?
Comparing satellite maps from 2000 and 2020, the forest around Mbabane shrank from about 12,300 hectares to 11,600 hectares, a net loss of about 746 hectares (−6.1%). New forest grew on about 302 hectares, but 1,050 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 Mbabane 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 Mbabane, 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 Mbabane, 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.