Deforestation · 10 km around the city · 2001–2025
Deforestation around Paramaribo
Since 2001, the area within 10 km of Paramaribo has lost about 2,070 hectares of forest (about 2,900 football pitches): 24% of the forest it had in 2000. Most of it (98%) was deforestation, forest cleared for good, mainly for farms, pasture and plantations.
- Forest in 2000
- 8,650 hawithin 10 km of the centre
- Forest lost since 2001
- 2,070 ha24% of it, about 2,900 football pitches
- Cleared for good
- 2,030 hadeforestation, 98% of the loss
- Worst year
- 2012231 ha lost
Satellite timelapse
2017: satellite photo from August 2017 of a 5 × 5 km area about 7 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 Paramaribo, year by year
Forest loss has stayed about the same: about 86 hectares a year in 2021–2025, against 106 hectares a year in 2016–2020. The worst year was 2012, when about 231 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 | 15 ha | under 1 ha | 16 ha |
| 2002 | 42 ha | under 1 ha | 42 ha |
| 2003 | 51 ha | under 1 ha | 52 ha |
| 2004 | 97 ha | 1 ha | 98 ha |
| 2005 | 31 ha | under 1 ha | 31 ha |
| 2006 | 64 ha | under 1 ha | 64 ha |
| 2007 | 45 ha | under 1 ha | 45 ha |
| 2008 | 67 ha | under 1 ha | 68 ha |
| 2009 | 81 ha | under 1 ha | 82 ha |
| 2010 | 42 ha | under 1 ha | 43 ha |
| 2011 | 81 ha | under 1 ha | 81 ha |
| 2012 | 230 ha | 1 ha | 231 ha |
| 2013 | 48 ha | under 1 ha | 48 ha |
| 2014 | 108 ha | 1 ha | 109 ha |
| 2015 | 87 ha | 16 ha | 103 ha |
| 2016 | 189 ha | 4 ha | 193 ha |
| 2017 | 117 ha | 5 ha | 122 ha |
| 2018 | 48 ha | 4 ha | 52 ha |
| 2019 | 98 ha | under 1 ha | 99 ha |
| 2020 | 64 ha | under 1 ha | 65 ha |
| 2021 | 30 ha | under 1 ha | 30 ha |
| 2022 | 41 ha | under 1 ha | 41 ha |
| 2023 | 195 ha | 1 ha | 196 ha |
| 2024 | 135 ha | 2 ha | 137 ha |
| 2025 | 20 ha | 5 ha | 25 ha |
Forest gained and lost, 2000–2020
- Forest in 2000
- 4,800 ha
- Forest in 2020
- 3,600 ha
- Overall change
- −1,200 haless forest than in 2000
Comparing satellite maps from 2000 and 2020, the forest around Paramaribo shrank from about 4,800 hectares to 3,600 hectares, a net loss of about 1,200 hectares (−25%). New forest grew on about 245 hectares, but 1,450 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 Paramaribo?
- 98%cleared for good (deforestation)
- 2.1%can grow back (fire, logging, storms)
- Farms, pasture and plantations63% · 1,300 ha
Cleared for good. Forest cleared for crops, cattle pasture or tree plantations: the biggest cause of deforestation in the world.
- Towns and roads35% · 727 ha
Cleared for good. Forest replaced by houses, buildings and roads.
- Storms, floods and other natural causes2.1% · 43 ha
Can grow back. Trees killed by storms, floods, landslides, pests or disease.
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 |
|---|---|---|---|
| Cayenne, French Guiana | 1,870 ha | 19% | 1,730 ha |
| Georgetown, Guyana | 346 ha | 12% | 321 ha |
Use this data
Put Paramaribo's forest loss on your site
Free to embed, with a link back to the full figures.
Frequently asked
Questions about deforestation around Paramaribo
How much forest has Paramaribo lost since 2001?
Since 2001, the area within 10 km of Paramaribo has lost about 2,070 hectares of forest (about 2,900 football pitches): 24% of the forest it had in 2000. Most of it (98%) was deforestation, forest cleared for good, mainly for farms, pasture and plantations.
Is deforestation around Paramaribo getting worse?
Forest loss has stayed about the same: about 86 hectares a year in 2021–2025, against 106 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 Paramaribo?
The main causes of forest loss since 2001 are farms, pasture and plantations (63%), towns and roads (35%), storms, floods and other natural causes (2.1%). About 2,030 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 Paramaribo?
The worst year was 2012, when about 231 hectares of forest were lost.
Is the forest around Paramaribo growing or shrinking?
Comparing satellite maps from 2000 and 2020, the forest around Paramaribo shrank from about 4,800 hectares to 3,600 hectares, a net loss of about 1,200 hectares (−25%). New forest grew on about 245 hectares, but 1,450 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 Paramaribo 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 Paramaribo, 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 Paramaribo, 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.