Deforestation · 10 km around the city · 2001–2025
Deforestation around Palembang
Since 2001, the area within 10 km of Palembang has lost about 5,540 hectares of forest (about 7,800 football pitches): 44% of the forest it had in 2000. Most of it (94%) was deforestation, forest cleared for good, mainly for farms, pasture and plantations.
- Forest in 2000
- 12,600 hawithin 10 km of the centre
- Forest lost since 2001
- 5,540 ha44% of it, about 7,800 football pitches
- Cleared for good
- 5,180 hadeforestation, 94% of the loss
- Worst year
- 2012570 ha lost
Satellite timelapse
2017: satellite photo from July 2017 of a 5 × 5 km area about 6 km north-east 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 Palembang, year by year
Forest loss is slowing down: about 103 hectares a year in 2021–2025, down from 337 hectares a year in 2016–2020. The worst year was 2012, when about 570 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 | 22 ha | under 1 ha | 22 ha |
| 2002 | 24 ha | under 1 ha | 24 ha |
| 2003 | 81 ha | 9 ha | 89 ha |
| 2004 | 56 ha | 5 ha | 60 ha |
| 2005 | 187 ha | 7 ha | 194 ha |
| 2006 | 73 ha | 4 ha | 78 ha |
| 2007 | 146 ha | 8 ha | 154 ha |
| 2008 | 372 ha | 2 ha | 374 ha |
| 2009 | 236 ha | 11 ha | 247 ha |
| 2010 | 228 ha | 3 ha | 231 ha |
| 2011 | 409 ha | 1 ha | 410 ha |
| 2012 | 550 ha | 20 ha | 570 ha |
| 2013 | 152 ha | 5 ha | 157 ha |
| 2014 | 365 ha | 26 ha | 391 ha |
| 2015 | 333 ha | 8 ha | 341 ha |
| 2016 | 298 ha | 35 ha | 333 ha |
| 2017 | 287 ha | 12 ha | 299 ha |
| 2018 | 340 ha | 42 ha | 382 ha |
| 2019 | 307 ha | 25 ha | 332 ha |
| 2020 | 238 ha | 103 ha | 341 ha |
| 2021 | 82 ha | 6 ha | 88 ha |
| 2022 | 81 ha | 2 ha | 83 ha |
| 2023 | 89 ha | 7 ha | 96 ha |
| 2024 | 123 ha | 11 ha | 134 ha |
| 2025 | 105 ha | 8 ha | 113 ha |
Forest gained and lost, 2000–2020
- Forest in 2000
- 9,660 ha
- Forest in 2020
- 7,890 ha
- Overall change
- −1,770 haless forest than in 2000
Comparing satellite maps from 2000 and 2020, the forest around Palembang shrank from about 9,660 hectares to 7,890 hectares, a net loss of about 1,770 hectares (−18%). New forest grew on about 1,200 hectares, but 2,970 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 Palembang?
- 94%cleared for good (deforestation)
- 6.4%can grow back (fire, logging, storms)
- Farms, pasture and plantations68% · 3,780 ha
Cleared for good. Forest cleared for crops, cattle pasture or tree plantations: the biggest cause of deforestation in the world.
- Towns and roads25% · 1,380 ha
Cleared for good. Forest replaced by houses, buildings and roads.
- Wildfires6.4% · 356 ha
Can grow back. Forest burned. It often grows back, though fire is sometimes used to clear land for good.
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 |
|---|---|---|---|
| Jambi City | 5,870 ha | 35% | 5,860 ha |
| Batam | 2,820 ha | 36% | 2,680 ha |
| Singapore, Singapore | 468 ha | 12% | 461 ha |
| Pekanbaru | 5,150 ha | 42% | 5,150 ha |
| Pontianak | 5,880 ha | 34% | 5,870 ha |
| Palangkaraya | 10,200 ha | 42% | 3,920 ha |
Use this data
Put Palembang's forest loss on your site
Free to embed, with a link back to the full figures.
Frequently asked
Questions about deforestation around Palembang
How much forest has Palembang lost since 2001?
Since 2001, the area within 10 km of Palembang has lost about 5,540 hectares of forest (about 7,800 football pitches): 44% of the forest it had in 2000. Most of it (94%) was deforestation, forest cleared for good, mainly for farms, pasture and plantations.
Is deforestation around Palembang getting worse?
Forest loss is slowing down: about 103 hectares a year in 2021–2025, down from 337 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 Palembang?
The main causes of forest loss since 2001 are farms, pasture and plantations (68%), towns and roads (25%), wildfires (6.4%). About 5,180 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 Palembang?
The worst year was 2012, when about 570 hectares of forest were lost.
Is the forest around Palembang growing or shrinking?
Comparing satellite maps from 2000 and 2020, the forest around Palembang shrank from about 9,660 hectares to 7,890 hectares, a net loss of about 1,770 hectares (−18%). New forest grew on about 1,200 hectares, but 2,970 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 Palembang 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 Palembang, 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 Palembang, 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.