Deforestation · 10 km around the city · 2001–2025
Deforestation around Mérida
Since 2001, the area within 10 km of Mérida has lost about 3,740 hectares of forest (about 5,200 football pitches): 57% 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
- 6,580 hawithin 10 km of the centre
- Forest lost since 2001
- 3,740 ha57% of it, about 5,200 football pitches
- Cleared for good
- 3,740 hadeforestation, over 99% of the loss
- Worst year
- 2009714 ha lost
Satellite timelapse
2017: satellite photo from February 2017 of a 5 × 5 km area about 7 km north-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 Mérida, year by year
Forest loss has stayed about the same: about 63 hectares a year in 2021–2025, against 61 hectares a year in 2016–2020. The worst year was 2009, when about 714 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 | 75 ha | under 1 ha | 75 ha |
| 2002 | 49 ha | under 1 ha | 49 ha |
| 2003 | 118 ha | under 1 ha | 118 ha |
| 2004 | 251 ha | under 1 ha | 251 ha |
| 2005 | 270 ha | under 1 ha | 270 ha |
| 2006 | 356 ha | under 1 ha | 356 ha |
| 2007 | 540 ha | 1 ha | 541 ha |
| 2008 | 146 ha | under 1 ha | 146 ha |
| 2009 | 713 ha | 1 ha | 714 ha |
| 2010 | 110 ha | under 1 ha | 110 ha |
| 2011 | 95 ha | under 1 ha | 95 ha |
| 2012 | 132 ha | under 1 ha | 132 ha |
| 2013 | 51 ha | under 1 ha | 51 ha |
| 2014 | 105 ha | under 1 ha | 105 ha |
| 2015 | 105 ha | under 1 ha | 105 ha |
| 2016 | 85 ha | under 1 ha | 85 ha |
| 2017 | 58 ha | under 1 ha | 58 ha |
| 2018 | 81 ha | under 1 ha | 81 ha |
| 2019 | 31 ha | under 1 ha | 31 ha |
| 2020 | 50 ha | under 1 ha | 50 ha |
| 2021 | 63 ha | under 1 ha | 63 ha |
| 2022 | 76 ha | under 1 ha | 76 ha |
| 2023 | 64 ha | under 1 ha | 64 ha |
| 2024 | 54 ha | under 1 ha | 54 ha |
| 2025 | 60 ha | under 1 ha | 60 ha |
Forest gained and lost, 2000–2020
- Forest in 2000
- 3,600 ha
- Forest in 2020
- 1,660 ha
- Overall change
- −1,940 haless forest than in 2000
Comparing satellite maps from 2000 and 2020, the forest around Mérida shrank from about 3,600 hectares to 1,660 hectares, a net loss of about 1,940 hectares (−54%). New forest grew on about 237 hectares, but 2,180 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 Mérida?
- over 99%cleared for good (deforestation)
- Towns and roads84% · 3,150 ha
Cleared for good. Forest replaced by houses, buildings and roads.
- Farms, pasture and plantations11% · 429 ha
Cleared for good. Forest cleared for crops, cattle pasture or tree plantations: the biggest cause of deforestation in the world.
- Mining and energy4.3% · 161 ha
Cleared for good. Forest cleared for mines, oil and gas, power lines and dams.
Also, each under 1%: 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 |
|---|---|---|---|
| Belmopan, Belize | 13,700 ha | 50% | 11,300 ha |
Use this data
Put Mérida's forest loss on your site
Free to embed, with a link back to the full figures.
Frequently asked
Questions about deforestation around Mérida
How much forest has Mérida lost since 2001?
Since 2001, the area within 10 km of Mérida has lost about 3,740 hectares of forest (about 5,200 football pitches): 57% 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 Mérida getting worse?
Forest loss has stayed about the same: about 63 hectares a year in 2021–2025, against 61 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 Mérida?
The main causes of forest loss since 2001 are towns and roads (84%), farms, pasture and plantations (11%), mining and energy (4.3%). About 3,740 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 Mérida?
The worst year was 2009, when about 714 hectares of forest were lost.
Is the forest around Mérida growing or shrinking?
Comparing satellite maps from 2000 and 2020, the forest around Mérida shrank from about 3,600 hectares to 1,660 hectares, a net loss of about 1,940 hectares (−54%). New forest grew on about 237 hectares, but 2,180 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 Mérida 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 Mérida, 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 Mérida, 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.