Deforestation · 10 km around the city · 2001–2025
Deforestation around Ulan Bator
Since 2001, the area within 10 km of Ulan Bator has lost about 559 hectares of forest (about 780 football pitches): 23% of the forest it had in 2000. Most of it was lost to wildfires, so much of it can grow back. Almost none of it was deforestation, meaning forest cleared for good.
- Forest in 2000
- 2,410 hawithin 10 km of the centre
- Forest lost since 2001
- 559 ha23% of it, about 780 football pitches
- Cleared for good
- under 1 hadeforestation, 0% of the loss
- Worst year
- 2008177 ha lost
Satellite timelapse
2017: satellite photo from June 2017 of a 5 × 5 km area in 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 Ulan Bator, year by year
The worst year was 2008, when about 177 hectares of forest were lost, mostly to wildfires.
Hectares of forest lost each year
Show the figures as a table
| Year | Cleared for good | Can grow back | Total |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2001 | under 1 ha | 26 ha | 26 ha |
| 2002 | under 1 ha | 22 ha | 22 ha |
| 2003 | under 1 ha | 151 ha | 151 ha |
| 2004 | under 1 ha | 126 ha | 126 ha |
| 2005 | under 1 ha | 12 ha | 12 ha |
| 2006 | under 1 ha | 1 ha | 1 ha |
| 2007 | under 1 ha | 12 ha | 12 ha |
| 2008 | under 1 ha | 177 ha | 177 ha |
| 2009 | under 1 ha | 17 ha | 17 ha |
| 2010 | under 1 ha | under 1 ha | under 1 ha |
| 2011 | under 1 ha | under 1 ha | under 1 ha |
| 2012 | under 1 ha | under 1 ha | under 1 ha |
| 2013 | under 1 ha | under 1 ha | under 1 ha |
| 2014 | under 1 ha | under 1 ha | under 1 ha |
| 2015 | under 1 ha | under 1 ha | under 1 ha |
| 2016 | under 1 ha | under 1 ha | under 1 ha |
| 2017 | under 1 ha | under 1 ha | under 1 ha |
| 2018 | under 1 ha | under 1 ha | under 1 ha |
| 2019 | under 1 ha | 1 ha | 1 ha |
| 2020 | under 1 ha | under 1 ha | under 1 ha |
| 2021 | under 1 ha | under 1 ha | under 1 ha |
| 2022 | under 1 ha | under 1 ha | under 1 ha |
| 2023 | under 1 ha | under 1 ha | under 1 ha |
| 2024 | under 1 ha | 14 ha | 14 ha |
| 2025 | under 1 ha | under 1 ha | under 1 ha |
Forest gained and lost, 2000–2020
- Forest in 2000
- 4,090 ha
- Forest in 2020
- 4,100 ha
- Overall change
- +16 hamore forest than in 2000
Comparing satellite maps from 2000 and 2020, the forest around Ulan Bator stayed about the same size, at about 4,100 hectares: new forest grew on about 110 hectares, and about 94 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 Ulan Bator?
- over 99%can grow back (fire, logging, storms)
- Wildfires97% · 543 ha
Can grow back. Forest burned. It often grows back, though fire is sometimes used to clear land for good.
- Logging2.7% · 15 ha
Can grow back. Trees cut for timber or paper. The land usually stays forest and grows back.
Also, each under 1%: unknown causes.
Causes for 2025 are estimates, based on what caused forest loss in the same places up to 2024.
Use this data
Put Ulan Bator's forest loss on your site
Free to embed, with a link back to the full figures.
Frequently asked
Questions about deforestation around Ulan Bator
How much forest has Ulan Bator lost since 2001?
Since 2001, the area within 10 km of Ulan Bator has lost about 559 hectares of forest (about 780 football pitches): 23% of the forest it had in 2000. Most of it was lost to wildfires, so much of it can grow back. Almost none of it was deforestation, meaning forest cleared for good.
What is causing deforestation around Ulan Bator?
The main causes of forest loss since 2001 are wildfires (97%), logging (2.7%). About under 1 hectare 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 Ulan Bator?
The worst year was 2008, when about 177 hectares of forest were lost, mostly to wildfires.
Is the forest around Ulan Bator growing or shrinking?
Comparing satellite maps from 2000 and 2020, the forest around Ulan Bator stayed about the same size, at about 4,100 hectares: new forest grew on about 110 hectares, and about 94 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 Ulan Bator 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 in the centre of Ulan Bator. 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 Ulan Bator, 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.