Deforestation · 10 km around the city · 2001–2025
Deforestation around Yunfu
Since 2001, the area within 10 km of Yunfu has lost about 4,640 hectares of forest (about 6,500 football pitches): 24% of the forest it had in 2000. Most of it was lost to logging, so much of it can grow back. About 534 hectares (12%) was deforestation: forest cleared for good for farms, mines or towns.
- Forest in 2000
- 19,400 hawithin 10 km of the centre
- Forest lost since 2001
- 4,640 ha24% of it, about 6,500 football pitches
- Cleared for good
- 534 hadeforestation, 12% of the loss
- Worst year
- 2004384 ha lost
Satellite timelapse
2017: satellite photo from January 2017 of a 5 × 5 km area about 7 km north-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 Yunfu, year by year
Forest loss is slowing down: about 155 hectares a year in 2021–2025, down from 226 hectares a year in 2016–2020. The worst year was 2004, when about 384 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 | 14 ha | 77 ha | 91 ha |
| 2002 | 11 ha | 70 ha | 81 ha |
| 2003 | 18 ha | 266 ha | 284 ha |
| 2004 | 28 ha | 356 ha | 384 ha |
| 2005 | 26 ha | 153 ha | 179 ha |
| 2006 | 17 ha | 116 ha | 133 ha |
| 2007 | 44 ha | 246 ha | 290 ha |
| 2008 | 55 ha | 235 ha | 290 ha |
| 2009 | 23 ha | 108 ha | 131 ha |
| 2010 | 6 ha | 62 ha | 69 ha |
| 2011 | 26 ha | 123 ha | 149 ha |
| 2012 | 13 ha | 51 ha | 63 ha |
| 2013 | 36 ha | 163 ha | 199 ha |
| 2014 | 11 ha | 120 ha | 130 ha |
| 2015 | 7 ha | 252 ha | 259 ha |
| 2016 | 16 ha | 349 ha | 365 ha |
| 2017 | 26 ha | 184 ha | 210 ha |
| 2018 | 20 ha | 201 ha | 220 ha |
| 2019 | 20 ha | 175 ha | 195 ha |
| 2020 | 20 ha | 120 ha | 140 ha |
| 2021 | 27 ha | 122 ha | 149 ha |
| 2022 | 24 ha | 123 ha | 147 ha |
| 2023 | 9 ha | 132 ha | 141 ha |
| 2024 | 15 ha | 112 ha | 127 ha |
| 2025 | 22 ha | 191 ha | 213 ha |
Forest gained and lost, 2000–2020
- Forest in 2000
- 24,500 ha
- Forest in 2020
- 23,700 ha
- Overall change
- −795 haless forest than in 2000
Comparing satellite maps from 2000 and 2020, the forest around Yunfu shrank from about 24,500 hectares to 23,700 hectares, a net loss of about 795 hectares (−3.2%). New forest grew on about 179 hectares, but 974 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 Yunfu?
- 12%cleared for good (deforestation)
- 88%can grow back (fire, logging, storms)
- Logging84% · 3,910 ha
Can grow back. Trees cut for timber or paper. The land usually stays forest and grows back.
- Towns and roads8.3% · 386 ha
Cleared for good. Forest replaced by houses, buildings and roads.
- Shifting farming3.3% · 155 ha
Can grow back. Small patches cleared to grow crops for a few seasons, then left to grow back.
- Farms, pasture and plantations2.7% · 125 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%: storms, floods and other natural causes, 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
Use this data
Put Yunfu's forest loss on your site
Free to embed, with a link back to the full figures.
Frequently asked
Questions about deforestation around Yunfu
How much forest has Yunfu lost since 2001?
Since 2001, the area within 10 km of Yunfu has lost about 4,640 hectares of forest (about 6,500 football pitches): 24% of the forest it had in 2000. Most of it was lost to logging, so much of it can grow back. About 534 hectares (12%) was deforestation: forest cleared for good for farms, mines or towns.
Is deforestation around Yunfu getting worse?
Forest loss is slowing down: about 155 hectares a year in 2021–2025, down from 226 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 Yunfu?
The main causes of forest loss since 2001 are logging (84%), towns and roads (8.3%), shifting farming (3.3%). About 534 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 Yunfu?
The worst year was 2004, when about 384 hectares of forest were lost.
Is the forest around Yunfu growing or shrinking?
Comparing satellite maps from 2000 and 2020, the forest around Yunfu shrank from about 24,500 hectares to 23,700 hectares, a net loss of about 795 hectares (−3.2%). New forest grew on about 179 hectares, but 974 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 Yunfu 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 Yunfu, 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 Yunfu, 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.