Deforestation · 10 km around the city · 2001–2025
Deforestation around Pontianak
Since 2001, the area within 10 km of Pontianak has lost about 5,880 hectares of forest (about 8,200 football pitches): 34% of the forest it had in 2000. Most of it (over 99%) was deforestation, forest cleared for good, mainly for farms, pasture and plantations.
- Forest in 2000
- 17,400 hawithin 10 km of the centre
- Forest lost since 2001
- 5,880 ha34% of it, about 8,200 football pitches
- Cleared for good
- 5,870 hadeforestation, over 99% of the loss
- Worst year
- 2016572 ha lost
Satellite timelapse
2017: satellite photo from April 2017 of a 5 × 5 km area about 7 km south 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 Pontianak, year by year
Forest loss is slowing down: about 231 hectares a year in 2021–2025, down from 315 hectares a year in 2016–2020. The worst year was 2016, when about 572 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 | 114 ha | 1 ha | 115 ha |
| 2002 | 245 ha | under 1 ha | 245 ha |
| 2003 | 27 ha | under 1 ha | 27 ha |
| 2004 | 202 ha | under 1 ha | 202 ha |
| 2005 | 79 ha | under 1 ha | 79 ha |
| 2006 | 167 ha | under 1 ha | 167 ha |
| 2007 | 95 ha | under 1 ha | 95 ha |
| 2008 | 258 ha | under 1 ha | 258 ha |
| 2009 | 392 ha | 1 ha | 393 ha |
| 2010 | 121 ha | 1 ha | 122 ha |
| 2011 | 292 ha | 1 ha | 293 ha |
| 2012 | 256 ha | 1 ha | 257 ha |
| 2013 | 216 ha | under 1 ha | 216 ha |
| 2014 | 430 ha | under 1 ha | 430 ha |
| 2015 | 243 ha | under 1 ha | 243 ha |
| 2016 | 571 ha | 1 ha | 572 ha |
| 2017 | 392 ha | 1 ha | 393 ha |
| 2018 | 222 ha | under 1 ha | 222 ha |
| 2019 | 259 ha | under 1 ha | 259 ha |
| 2020 | 131 ha | under 1 ha | 131 ha |
| 2021 | 282 ha | under 1 ha | 282 ha |
| 2022 | 249 ha | under 1 ha | 249 ha |
| 2023 | 212 ha | under 1 ha | 212 ha |
| 2024 | 221 ha | under 1 ha | 221 ha |
| 2025 | 191 ha | 1 ha | 192 ha |
Forest gained and lost, 2000–2020
- Forest in 2000
- 11,900 ha
- Forest in 2020
- 10,600 ha
- Overall change
- −1,290 haless forest than in 2000
Comparing satellite maps from 2000 and 2020, the forest around Pontianak shrank from about 11,900 hectares to 10,600 hectares, a net loss of about 1,290 hectares (−11%). New forest grew on about 1,220 hectares, but 2,510 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 Pontianak?
- over 99%cleared for good (deforestation)
- Farms, pasture and plantations68% · 4,020 ha
Cleared for good. Forest cleared for crops, cattle pasture or tree plantations: the biggest cause of deforestation in the world.
- Towns and roads32% · 1,850 ha
Cleared for good. Forest replaced by houses, buildings and roads.
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 |
|---|---|---|---|
| Palangkaraya | 10,200 ha | 42% | 3,920 ha |
| Palembang | 5,540 ha | 44% | 5,180 ha |
| Batam | 2,820 ha | 36% | 2,680 ha |
| Jambi City | 5,870 ha | 35% | 5,860 ha |
| Pekanbaru | 5,150 ha | 42% | 5,150 ha |
Use this data
Put Pontianak's forest loss on your site
Free to embed, with a link back to the full figures.
Frequently asked
Questions about deforestation around Pontianak
How much forest has Pontianak lost since 2001?
Since 2001, the area within 10 km of Pontianak has lost about 5,880 hectares of forest (about 8,200 football pitches): 34% of the forest it had in 2000. Most of it (over 99%) was deforestation, forest cleared for good, mainly for farms, pasture and plantations.
Is deforestation around Pontianak getting worse?
Forest loss is slowing down: about 231 hectares a year in 2021–2025, down from 315 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 Pontianak?
The main causes of forest loss since 2001 are farms, pasture and plantations (68%), towns and roads (32%). About 5,870 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 Pontianak?
The worst year was 2016, when about 572 hectares of forest were lost.
Is the forest around Pontianak growing or shrinking?
Comparing satellite maps from 2000 and 2020, the forest around Pontianak shrank from about 11,900 hectares to 10,600 hectares, a net loss of about 1,290 hectares (−11%). New forest grew on about 1,220 hectares, but 2,510 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 Pontianak 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 Pontianak, 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 Pontianak, 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.