Deforestation · 10 km around the city · 2001–2025
Deforestation around Sarajevo
Since 2001, the area within 10 km of Sarajevo has lost about 319 hectares of forest (about 450 football pitches): 2.3% of the forest it had in 2000. Most of it (63%) was deforestation, forest cleared for good, mainly for towns and roads.
- Forest in 2000
- 13,700 hawithin 10 km of the centre
- Forest lost since 2001
- 319 ha2.3% of it, about 450 football pitches
- Cleared for good
- 201 hadeforestation, 63% of the loss
- Worst year
- 202344 ha lost
Satellite timelapse
2017: satellite photo from August 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 Sarajevo, year by year
The worst year was 2023, when about 44 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 | under 1 ha | 4 ha | 4 ha |
| 2002 | under 1 ha | under 1 ha | 1 ha |
| 2003 | under 1 ha | under 1 ha | under 1 ha |
| 2004 | 6 ha | 8 ha | 13 ha |
| 2005 | 2 ha | under 1 ha | 3 ha |
| 2006 | 4 ha | 1 ha | 6 ha |
| 2007 | 9 ha | 3 ha | 12 ha |
| 2008 | 21 ha | 8 ha | 28 ha |
| 2009 | 21 ha | 4 ha | 25 ha |
| 2010 | 7 ha | 12 ha | 19 ha |
| 2011 | 5 ha | 6 ha | 10 ha |
| 2012 | 7 ha | 10 ha | 17 ha |
| 2013 | 9 ha | 3 ha | 11 ha |
| 2014 | 6 ha | under 1 ha | 6 ha |
| 2015 | 5 ha | under 1 ha | 6 ha |
| 2016 | 17 ha | 3 ha | 20 ha |
| 2017 | 5 ha | 3 ha | 8 ha |
| 2018 | 10 ha | 8 ha | 18 ha |
| 2019 | 7 ha | 4 ha | 11 ha |
| 2020 | 10 ha | under 1 ha | 11 ha |
| 2021 | 3 ha | under 1 ha | 3 ha |
| 2022 | 8 ha | under 1 ha | 8 ha |
| 2023 | 14 ha | 29 ha | 44 ha |
| 2024 | 16 ha | 2 ha | 19 ha |
| 2025 | 10 ha | 6 ha | 16 ha |
Forest gained and lost, 2000–2020
- Forest in 2000
- 15,900 ha
- Forest in 2020
- 15,900 ha
- Overall change
- +28 hamore forest than in 2000
Comparing satellite maps from 2000 and 2020, the forest around Sarajevo stayed about the same size, at about 15,900 hectares: new forest grew on about 304 hectares, and about 276 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 Sarajevo?
- 63%cleared for good (deforestation)
- 30%can grow back (fire, logging, storms)
- 6.7%cause unknown
- Towns and roads59% · 187 ha
Cleared for good. Forest replaced by houses, buildings and roads.
- Logging28% · 90 ha
Can grow back. Trees cut for timber or paper. The land usually stays forest and grows back.
- Mining and energy4.4% · 14 ha
Cleared for good. Forest cleared for mines, oil and gas, power lines and dams.
- Storms, floods and other natural causes1.6% · 5 ha
Can grow back. Trees killed by storms, floods, landslides, pests or disease.
- Unknown causes6.9% · 22 ha
Cause unknown. The satellites saw the trees go, but not why.
Also, each under 1%: wildfires, farms, pasture and plantations.
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 |
|---|---|---|---|
| Belgrade, Serbia | 460 ha | 11% | 45 ha |
| Pristina, Kosovo | 449 ha | 5.7% | 60 ha |
| Tirana, Albania | 582 ha | 11% | 171 ha |
Use this data
Put Sarajevo's forest loss on your site
Free to embed, with a link back to the full figures.
Frequently asked
Questions about deforestation around Sarajevo
How much forest has Sarajevo lost since 2001?
Since 2001, the area within 10 km of Sarajevo has lost about 319 hectares of forest (about 450 football pitches): 2.3% of the forest it had in 2000. Most of it (63%) was deforestation, forest cleared for good, mainly for towns and roads.
What is causing deforestation around Sarajevo?
The main causes of forest loss since 2001 are towns and roads (59%), logging (28%), mining and energy (4.4%). About 201 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 Sarajevo?
The worst year was 2023, when about 44 hectares of forest were lost.
Is the forest around Sarajevo growing or shrinking?
Comparing satellite maps from 2000 and 2020, the forest around Sarajevo stayed about the same size, at about 15,900 hectares: new forest grew on about 304 hectares, and about 276 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 Sarajevo 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 Sarajevo, 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 Sarajevo, 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.