Deforestation · 10 km around the city · 2001–2025
Deforestation around Rio Branco
Since 2001, the area within 10 km of Rio Branco has lost about 3,200 hectares of forest (about 4,500 football pitches): 29% 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
- 10,900 hawithin 10 km of the centre
- Forest lost since 2001
- 3,200 ha29% of it, about 4,500 football pitches
- Cleared for good
- 3,200 hadeforestation, over 99% of the loss
- Worst year
- 2005462 ha lost
Satellite timelapse
2017: satellite photo from July 2017 of a 5 × 5 km area about 6 km south-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 Rio Branco, year by year
Forest loss is slowing down: about 101 hectares a year in 2021–2025, down from 148 hectares a year in 2016–2020. The worst year was 2005, when about 462 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 | 323 ha | under 1 ha | 323 ha |
| 2002 | 85 ha | under 1 ha | 85 ha |
| 2003 | 56 ha | under 1 ha | 56 ha |
| 2004 | 97 ha | under 1 ha | 98 ha |
| 2005 | 462 ha | under 1 ha | 462 ha |
| 2006 | 64 ha | under 1 ha | 65 ha |
| 2007 | 124 ha | under 1 ha | 124 ha |
| 2008 | 89 ha | under 1 ha | 89 ha |
| 2009 | 47 ha | under 1 ha | 47 ha |
| 2010 | 150 ha | 1 ha | 151 ha |
| 2011 | 98 ha | under 1 ha | 98 ha |
| 2012 | 102 ha | under 1 ha | 102 ha |
| 2013 | 69 ha | under 1 ha | 69 ha |
| 2014 | 108 ha | under 1 ha | 108 ha |
| 2015 | 79 ha | under 1 ha | 79 ha |
| 2016 | 186 ha | under 1 ha | 186 ha |
| 2017 | 216 ha | under 1 ha | 216 ha |
| 2018 | 108 ha | under 1 ha | 108 ha |
| 2019 | 69 ha | under 1 ha | 69 ha |
| 2020 | 162 ha | under 1 ha | 162 ha |
| 2021 | 155 ha | under 1 ha | 155 ha |
| 2022 | 174 ha | under 1 ha | 174 ha |
| 2023 | 39 ha | under 1 ha | 39 ha |
| 2024 | 61 ha | under 1 ha | 62 ha |
| 2025 | 74 ha | under 1 ha | 74 ha |
Forest gained and lost, 2000–2020
- Forest in 2000
- 7,210 ha
- Forest in 2020
- 6,300 ha
- Overall change
- −912 haless forest than in 2000
Comparing satellite maps from 2000 and 2020, the forest around Rio Branco shrank from about 7,210 hectares to 6,300 hectares, a net loss of about 912 hectares (−13%). New forest grew on about 712 hectares, but 1,620 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 Rio Branco?
- over 99%cleared for good (deforestation)
- Farms, pasture and plantations83% · 2,660 ha
Cleared for good. Forest cleared for crops, cattle pasture or tree plantations: the biggest cause of deforestation in the world.
- Towns and roads17% · 530 ha
Cleared for good. Forest replaced by houses, buildings and roads.
Also, each under 1%: storms, floods and other natural causes, shifting farming, unknown causes.
Causes for 2025 are estimates, based on what caused forest loss in the same places up to 2024.
Nearby cities losing forest
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Put Rio Branco's forest loss on your site
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Frequently asked
Questions about deforestation around Rio Branco
How much forest has Rio Branco lost since 2001?
Since 2001, the area within 10 km of Rio Branco has lost about 3,200 hectares of forest (about 4,500 football pitches): 29% 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 Rio Branco getting worse?
Forest loss is slowing down: about 101 hectares a year in 2021–2025, down from 148 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 Rio Branco?
The main causes of forest loss since 2001 are farms, pasture and plantations (83%), towns and roads (17%), storms, floods and other natural causes (under 1%). About 3,200 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 Rio Branco?
The worst year was 2005, when about 462 hectares of forest were lost.
Is the forest around Rio Branco growing or shrinking?
Comparing satellite maps from 2000 and 2020, the forest around Rio Branco shrank from about 7,210 hectares to 6,300 hectares, a net loss of about 912 hectares (−13%). New forest grew on about 712 hectares, but 1,620 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 Rio Branco 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 Rio Branco, 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 Rio Branco, 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.