Deforestation · 10 km around the city · 2001–2025
Deforestation around Zhaoqing
Since 2001, the area within 10 km of Zhaoqing has lost about 2,220 hectares of forest (about 3,100 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 230 hectares (10%) was deforestation: forest cleared for good for farms, mines or towns.
- Forest in 2000
- 9,110 hawithin 10 km of the centre
- Forest lost since 2001
- 2,220 ha24% of it, about 3,100 football pitches
- Cleared for good
- 230 hadeforestation, 10% of the loss
- Worst year
- 2015223 ha lost
Satellite timelapse
2019: satellite photo from December 2019 of a 5 × 5 km area about 7 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 Zhaoqing, year by year
Forest loss has stayed about the same: about 81 hectares a year in 2021–2025, against 93 hectares a year in 2016–2020. The worst year was 2015, when about 223 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 | 13 ha | 22 ha | 35 ha |
| 2002 | under 1 ha | 27 ha | 27 ha |
| 2003 | 3 ha | 54 ha | 57 ha |
| 2004 | 3 ha | 213 ha | 216 ha |
| 2005 | 5 ha | 67 ha | 72 ha |
| 2006 | 9 ha | 109 ha | 118 ha |
| 2007 | 17 ha | 43 ha | 60 ha |
| 2008 | 18 ha | 100 ha | 117 ha |
| 2009 | 13 ha | 57 ha | 70 ha |
| 2010 | 10 ha | 51 ha | 61 ha |
| 2011 | 20 ha | 62 ha | 83 ha |
| 2012 | 1 ha | 65 ha | 66 ha |
| 2013 | 5 ha | 66 ha | 72 ha |
| 2014 | 14 ha | 56 ha | 69 ha |
| 2015 | 16 ha | 207 ha | 223 ha |
| 2016 | 7 ha | 88 ha | 95 ha |
| 2017 | 16 ha | 102 ha | 118 ha |
| 2018 | 18 ha | 85 ha | 103 ha |
| 2019 | 7 ha | 85 ha | 92 ha |
| 2020 | 2 ha | 57 ha | 59 ha |
| 2021 | 1 ha | 140 ha | 141 ha |
| 2022 | under 1 ha | 59 ha | 60 ha |
| 2023 | 9 ha | 42 ha | 51 ha |
| 2024 | 6 ha | 65 ha | 71 ha |
| 2025 | 16 ha | 67 ha | 83 ha |
Forest gained and lost, 2000–2020
- Forest in 2000
- 12,100 ha
- Forest in 2020
- 11,800 ha
- Overall change
- −231 haless forest than in 2000
Comparing satellite maps from 2000 and 2020, the forest around Zhaoqing stayed about the same size, at about 11,800 hectares: new forest grew on about 494 hectares, and about 725 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 Zhaoqing?
- 10%cleared for good (deforestation)
- 89%can grow back (fire, logging, storms)
- Logging89% · 1,980 ha
Can grow back. Trees cut for timber or paper. The land usually stays forest and grows back.
- Towns and roads5.9% · 130 ha
Cleared for good. Forest replaced by houses, buildings and roads.
- Mining and energy4.4% · 97 ha
Cleared for good. Forest cleared for mines, oil and gas, power lines and dams.
Also, each under 1%: farms, pasture and plantations, 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 Zhaoqing's forest loss on your site
Free to embed, with a link back to the full figures.
Frequently asked
Questions about deforestation around Zhaoqing
How much forest has Zhaoqing lost since 2001?
Since 2001, the area within 10 km of Zhaoqing has lost about 2,220 hectares of forest (about 3,100 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 230 hectares (10%) was deforestation: forest cleared for good for farms, mines or towns.
Is deforestation around Zhaoqing getting worse?
Forest loss has stayed about the same: about 81 hectares a year in 2021–2025, against 93 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 Zhaoqing?
The main causes of forest loss since 2001 are logging (89%), towns and roads (5.9%), mining and energy (4.4%). About 230 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 Zhaoqing?
The worst year was 2015, when about 223 hectares of forest were lost.
Is the forest around Zhaoqing growing or shrinking?
Comparing satellite maps from 2000 and 2020, the forest around Zhaoqing stayed about the same size, at about 11,800 hectares: new forest grew on about 494 hectares, and about 725 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 Zhaoqing over the years?
Yes. The timelapse at the top of this page has a satellite photo for every year from 2019 to 2026 of a 5 × 5 km area near Zhaoqing, 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 Zhaoqing, 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.