Deforestation · 10 km around the city · 2001–2025
Deforestation around Pucallpa
Since 2001, the area within 10 km of Pucallpa has lost about 6,300 hectares of forest (about 8,800 football pitches): 41% of the forest it had in 2000. Most of it (58%) was deforestation, forest cleared for good, mainly for farms, pasture and plantations.
- Forest in 2000
- 15,300 hawithin 10 km of the centre
- Forest lost since 2001
- 6,300 ha41% of it, about 8,800 football pitches
- Cleared for good
- 3,660 hadeforestation, 58% of the loss
- Worst year
- 2017559 ha lost
Satellite timelapse
2017: satellite photo from July 2017 of a 5 × 5 km area about 7 km 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 Pucallpa, year by year
Forest loss has stayed about the same: about 295 hectares a year in 2021–2025, against 373 hectares a year in 2016–2020. The worst year was 2017, when about 559 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 | 57 ha | 19 ha | 75 ha |
| 2002 | 87 ha | 29 ha | 116 ha |
| 2003 | 39 ha | 42 ha | 81 ha |
| 2004 | 34 ha | 14 ha | 48 ha |
| 2005 | 332 ha | 190 ha | 522 ha |
| 2006 | 82 ha | 62 ha | 144 ha |
| 2007 | 59 ha | 36 ha | 96 ha |
| 2008 | 163 ha | 45 ha | 208 ha |
| 2009 | 224 ha | 110 ha | 334 ha |
| 2010 | 50 ha | 38 ha | 88 ha |
| 2011 | 123 ha | 198 ha | 321 ha |
| 2012 | 154 ha | 134 ha | 288 ha |
| 2013 | 85 ha | 43 ha | 128 ha |
| 2014 | 166 ha | 132 ha | 298 ha |
| 2015 | 114 ha | 94 ha | 208 ha |
| 2016 | 279 ha | 157 ha | 436 ha |
| 2017 | 347 ha | 212 ha | 559 ha |
| 2018 | 94 ha | 144 ha | 238 ha |
| 2019 | 127 ha | 202 ha | 329 ha |
| 2020 | 165 ha | 138 ha | 303 ha |
| 2021 | 294 ha | 136 ha | 430 ha |
| 2022 | 136 ha | 101 ha | 237 ha |
| 2023 | 222 ha | 140 ha | 362 ha |
| 2024 | 71 ha | 85 ha | 156 ha |
| 2025 | 159 ha | 133 ha | 292 ha |
Forest gained and lost, 2000–2020
- Forest in 2000
- 6,090 ha
- Forest in 2020
- 4,620 ha
- Overall change
- −1,470 haless forest than in 2000
Comparing satellite maps from 2000 and 2020, the forest around Pucallpa shrank from about 6,090 hectares to 4,620 hectares, a net loss of about 1,470 hectares (−24%). New forest grew on about 833 hectares, but 2,300 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 Pucallpa?
- 58%cleared for good (deforestation)
- 42%can grow back (fire, logging, storms)
- Farms, pasture and plantations46% · 2,880 ha
Cleared for good. Forest cleared for crops, cattle pasture or tree plantations: the biggest cause of deforestation in the world.
- Storms, floods and other natural causes39% · 2,470 ha
Can grow back. Trees killed by storms, floods, landslides, pests or disease.
- Towns and roads12% · 768 ha
Cleared for good. Forest replaced by houses, buildings and roads.
- Shifting farming1.5% · 97 ha
Can grow back. Small patches cleared to grow crops for a few seasons, then left to grow back.
- Wildfires1% · 64 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 |
|---|---|---|---|
| Iquitos | 5,610 ha | 27% | 1,790 ha |
Use this data
Put Pucallpa's forest loss on your site
Free to embed, with a link back to the full figures.
Frequently asked
Questions about deforestation around Pucallpa
How much forest has Pucallpa lost since 2001?
Since 2001, the area within 10 km of Pucallpa has lost about 6,300 hectares of forest (about 8,800 football pitches): 41% of the forest it had in 2000. Most of it (58%) was deforestation, forest cleared for good, mainly for farms, pasture and plantations.
Is deforestation around Pucallpa getting worse?
Forest loss has stayed about the same: about 295 hectares a year in 2021–2025, against 373 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 Pucallpa?
The main causes of forest loss since 2001 are farms, pasture and plantations (46%), storms, floods and other natural causes (39%), towns and roads (12%). About 3,660 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 Pucallpa?
The worst year was 2017, when about 559 hectares of forest were lost.
Is the forest around Pucallpa growing or shrinking?
Comparing satellite maps from 2000 and 2020, the forest around Pucallpa shrank from about 6,090 hectares to 4,620 hectares, a net loss of about 1,470 hectares (−24%). New forest grew on about 833 hectares, but 2,300 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 Pucallpa 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 Pucallpa, 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 Pucallpa, 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.