Deforestation · 10 km around the city · 2001–2025
Deforestation around Nairobi
Since 2001, the area within 10 km of Nairobi has lost about 336 hectares of forest (about 470 football pitches): 9.2% of the forest it had in 2000. Most of it (91%) was deforestation, forest cleared for good, mainly for towns and roads.
- Forest in 2000
- 3,660 hawithin 10 km of the centre
- Forest lost since 2001
- 336 ha9.2% of it, about 470 football pitches
- Cleared for good
- 307 hadeforestation, 91% of the loss
- Worst year
- 2001103 ha lost
Satellite timelapse
2017: satellite photo from January 2017 of a 5 × 5 km area about 5 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 Nairobi, year by year
The worst year was 2001, when about 103 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 | 96 ha | 7 ha | 103 ha |
| 2002 | under 1 ha | under 1 ha | under 1 ha |
| 2003 | 3 ha | under 1 ha | 3 ha |
| 2004 | 4 ha | under 1 ha | 5 ha |
| 2005 | 6 ha | under 1 ha | 6 ha |
| 2006 | 8 ha | under 1 ha | 8 ha |
| 2007 | 20 ha | under 1 ha | 20 ha |
| 2008 | 4 ha | under 1 ha | 4 ha |
| 2009 | 5 ha | under 1 ha | 5 ha |
| 2010 | 19 ha | 2 ha | 20 ha |
| 2011 | 11 ha | 2 ha | 12 ha |
| 2012 | 13 ha | under 1 ha | 13 ha |
| 2013 | 5 ha | under 1 ha | 5 ha |
| 2014 | 6 ha | under 1 ha | 6 ha |
| 2015 | 3 ha | under 1 ha | 3 ha |
| 2016 | 15 ha | 3 ha | 18 ha |
| 2017 | 17 ha | 2 ha | 19 ha |
| 2018 | 6 ha | 7 ha | 13 ha |
| 2019 | 17 ha | 2 ha | 19 ha |
| 2020 | 10 ha | under 1 ha | 10 ha |
| 2021 | 6 ha | under 1 ha | 6 ha |
| 2022 | 4 ha | under 1 ha | 4 ha |
| 2023 | 3 ha | under 1 ha | 3 ha |
| 2024 | 10 ha | 2 ha | 12 ha |
| 2025 | 17 ha | under 1 ha | 18 ha |
Forest gained and lost, 2000–2020
- Forest in 2000
- 8,390 ha
- Forest in 2020
- 7,780 ha
- Overall change
- −609 haless forest than in 2000
Comparing satellite maps from 2000 and 2020, the forest around Nairobi shrank from about 8,390 hectares to 7,780 hectares, a net loss of about 609 hectares (−7.3%). New forest grew on about 47 hectares, but 656 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 Nairobi?
- 91%cleared for good (deforestation)
- 6.2%can grow back (fire, logging, storms)
- 2.5%cause unknown
- Towns and roads79% · 267 ha
Cleared for good. Forest replaced by houses, buildings and roads.
- Farms, pasture and plantations12% · 40 ha
Cleared for good. Forest cleared for crops, cattle pasture or tree plantations: the biggest cause of deforestation in the world.
- Logging6.3% · 21 ha
Can grow back. Trees cut for timber or paper. The land usually stays forest and grows back.
- Unknown causes2.4% · 8 ha
Cause unknown. The satellites saw the trees go, but not why.
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 |
|---|---|---|---|
| Kakamega | 483 ha | 9.5% | 348 ha |
| Mombasa | 804 ha | 28% | 797 ha |
| Kampala, Uganda | 869 ha | 19% | 837 ha |
Use this data
Put Nairobi's forest loss on your site
Free to embed, with a link back to the full figures.
Frequently asked
Questions about deforestation around Nairobi
How much forest has Nairobi lost since 2001?
Since 2001, the area within 10 km of Nairobi has lost about 336 hectares of forest (about 470 football pitches): 9.2% of the forest it had in 2000. Most of it (91%) was deforestation, forest cleared for good, mainly for towns and roads.
What is causing deforestation around Nairobi?
The main causes of forest loss since 2001 are towns and roads (79%), farms, pasture and plantations (12%), logging (6.3%). About 307 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 Nairobi?
The worst year was 2001, when about 103 hectares of forest were lost.
Is the forest around Nairobi growing or shrinking?
Comparing satellite maps from 2000 and 2020, the forest around Nairobi shrank from about 8,390 hectares to 7,780 hectares, a net loss of about 609 hectares (−7.3%). New forest grew on about 47 hectares, but 656 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 Nairobi 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 Nairobi, 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 Nairobi, 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.