Deforestation · 10 km around the city · 2001–2025
Deforestation around Yaoundé
Since 2001, the area within 10 km of Yaoundé has lost about 6,260 hectares of forest (about 8,800 football pitches): 39% of the forest it had in 2000. Most of it (99%) was deforestation, forest cleared for good, mainly for towns and roads.
- Forest in 2000
- 15,900 hawithin 10 km of the centre
- Forest lost since 2001
- 6,260 ha39% of it, about 8,800 football pitches
- Cleared for good
- 6,210 hadeforestation, 99% of the loss
- Worst year
- 2008869 ha lost
Satellite timelapse
2017: satellite photo from February 2017 of a 5 × 5 km area about 7 km north-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 Yaoundé, year by year
Forest loss is slowing down: about 82 hectares a year in 2021–2025, down from 252 hectares a year in 2016–2020. The worst year was 2008, when about 869 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 | 112 ha | under 1 ha | 112 ha |
| 2002 | 23 ha | under 1 ha | 23 ha |
| 2003 | 458 ha | 1 ha | 459 ha |
| 2004 | 142 ha | under 1 ha | 142 ha |
| 2005 | 205 ha | under 1 ha | 205 ha |
| 2006 | 363 ha | under 1 ha | 363 ha |
| 2007 | 41 ha | under 1 ha | 41 ha |
| 2008 | 868 ha | 1 ha | 869 ha |
| 2009 | 72 ha | under 1 ha | 72 ha |
| 2010 | 495 ha | under 1 ha | 495 ha |
| 2011 | 136 ha | under 1 ha | 136 ha |
| 2012 | 151 ha | 4 ha | 155 ha |
| 2013 | 454 ha | 5 ha | 459 ha |
| 2014 | 736 ha | 10 ha | 746 ha |
| 2015 | 308 ha | under 1 ha | 308 ha |
| 2016 | 277 ha | 1 ha | 278 ha |
| 2017 | 467 ha | 2 ha | 469 ha |
| 2018 | 236 ha | 3 ha | 239 ha |
| 2019 | 132 ha | under 1 ha | 132 ha |
| 2020 | 141 ha | 1 ha | 142 ha |
| 2021 | 80 ha | 2 ha | 82 ha |
| 2022 | 140 ha | 3 ha | 143 ha |
| 2023 | 63 ha | 6 ha | 68 ha |
| 2024 | 54 ha | 4 ha | 58 ha |
| 2025 | 55 ha | 6 ha | 61 ha |
Forest gained and lost, 2000–2020
- Forest in 2000
- 14,300 ha
- Forest in 2020
- 7,680 ha
- Overall change
- −6,570 haless forest than in 2000
Comparing satellite maps from 2000 and 2020, the forest around Yaoundé shrank from about 14,300 hectares to 7,680 hectares, a net loss of about 6,570 hectares (−46%). New forest grew on about 99 hectares, but 6,670 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 Yaoundé?
- 99%cleared for good (deforestation)
- under 1%can grow back (fire, logging, storms)
- Towns and roads97% · 6,060 ha
Cleared for good. Forest replaced by houses, buildings and roads.
- Farms, pasture and plantations1.7% · 107 ha
Cleared for good. Forest cleared for crops, cattle pasture or tree plantations: the biggest cause of deforestation in the world.
Also, each under 1%: shifting farming, 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 |
|---|---|---|---|
| Douala | 565 ha | 6.6% | 528 ha |
Use this data
Put Yaoundé's forest loss on your site
Free to embed, with a link back to the full figures.
Frequently asked
Questions about deforestation around Yaoundé
How much forest has Yaoundé lost since 2001?
Since 2001, the area within 10 km of Yaoundé has lost about 6,260 hectares of forest (about 8,800 football pitches): 39% of the forest it had in 2000. Most of it (99%) was deforestation, forest cleared for good, mainly for towns and roads.
Is deforestation around Yaoundé getting worse?
Forest loss is slowing down: about 82 hectares a year in 2021–2025, down from 252 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 Yaoundé?
The main causes of forest loss since 2001 are towns and roads (97%), farms, pasture and plantations (1.7%), shifting farming (under 1%). About 6,210 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 Yaoundé?
The worst year was 2008, when about 869 hectares of forest were lost.
Is the forest around Yaoundé growing or shrinking?
Comparing satellite maps from 2000 and 2020, the forest around Yaoundé shrank from about 14,300 hectares to 7,680 hectares, a net loss of about 6,570 hectares (−46%). New forest grew on about 99 hectares, but 6,670 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 Yaoundé 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 Yaoundé, 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 Yaoundé, 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.