West Island
2 km around West Island Shire of Cocos 6799
Air quality now
AQI 52
91.1%
tree cover
Healthy tree cover
Asia · air quality report · 1 city
Cocos Islands air quality today The AQI right now, city by city
Airleaf measures 1 city in the Cocos Islands. West Island reads AQI 52 right now.
- cities measured
- 1
Updated . Lower is better on the US EPA index: 0–50 is Good, above 300 is Hazardous. Measured by Airleaf.
Cocos Islands
Air quality in West Island right now
Moderate
Deforestation · 2001–2025
How much forest has the Cocos Islands lost?
Since 2001, the Cocos Islands has lost about 90,000 hectares of forest (about 130,000 football pitches): 23% of the forest it had in 2000. The biggest cause was logging (50%), after which forest can grow back. About 7,940 hectares (8.8%) was deforestation: forest cleared for good for farms, mines or towns.
- Forest lost since 2001
- 90,000 haabout 130,000 football pitches
- Share of its forest
- 23%of what there was in 2000
- Cleared for good
- 7,940 hadeforestation: turned into farms, mines or towns
Hectares of forest lost each year
Show the figures as a table
| Year | Cleared for good | Can grow back | Total |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2001 | 294 ha | 1,230 ha | 1,520 ha |
| 2002 | 666 ha | 2,950 ha | 3,610 ha |
| 2003 | 235 ha | 1,460 ha | 1,690 ha |
| 2004 | 672 ha | 5,440 ha | 6,110 ha |
| 2005 | 401 ha | 1,200 ha | 1,600 ha |
| 2006 | 653 ha | 6,020 ha | 6,670 ha |
| 2007 | 333 ha | 2,050 ha | 2,380 ha |
| 2008 | 219 ha | 1,030 ha | 1,250 ha |
| 2009 | 699 ha | 3,330 ha | 4,030 ha |
| 2010 | 283 ha | 1,940 ha | 2,230 ha |
| 2011 | 188 ha | 779 ha | 967 ha |
| 2012 | 168 ha | 1,230 ha | 1,400 ha |
| 2013 | 304 ha | 3,510 ha | 3,810 ha |
| 2014 | 216 ha | 3,280 ha | 3,490 ha |
| 2015 | 120 ha | 2,030 ha | 2,150 ha |
| 2016 | 279 ha | 5,650 ha | 5,930 ha |
| 2017 | 71 ha | 988 ha | 1,060 ha |
| 2018 | 241 ha | 3,020 ha | 3,270 ha |
| 2019 | 117 ha | 1,760 ha | 1,870 ha |
| 2020 | 403 ha | 5,170 ha | 5,570 ha |
| 2021 | 118 ha | 2,470 ha | 2,580 ha |
| 2022 | 70 ha | 4,020 ha | 4,090 ha |
| 2023 | 72 ha | 8,110 ha | 8,180 ha |
| 2024 | 97 ha | 4,010 ha | 4,110 ha |
| 2025 | 1,030 ha | 9,360 ha | 10,400 ha |
Forest loss is speeding up: about 5,870 hectares a year in 2021–2025, up from 3,540 hectares a year in 2016–2020. The worst year was 2025, when about 10,400 hectares of forest were lost.
What is causing deforestation in the Cocos Islands?
- Loggingcan grow back50% · 44,700 ha
- Wildfirescan grow back40% · 35,600 ha
- Farms, pasture and plantationscleared for good8.3% · 7,430 ha
Also: towns and roads, 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.
Source: Hansen/UMD/Google/USGS/NASA, Global Forest Change (GFC-2025-v1.13); causes: WRI/Google DeepMind drivers of forest loss; both CC BY 4.0, summed by Airleaf for each area. How it's measured
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Cocos Islands
Clean-air buying guides
Cleaner air at home in the Cocos Islands
Picked by tested clean-air delivery rate (CADR), noise and running cost, from independent test labels. No brand pays to be listed.
- The best air purifiers for wildfire smoke and smog
Air purifiers that keep up with wildfire smoke and winter smog, ranked by verified smoke CADR, with the room each one clears on a smoky day.
- The best air purifiers under $200
Good HEPA air purifiers under $200 at the makers' own prices, compared on verified clean air, room size and what the filters cost each year.
- NIOSH-approved N95 masks for smoke and smog
NIOSH-approved N95 masks and P100 respirators for smog and smoke, and how to get the fit right. Cloth and surgical masks do little against PM2.5.
Frequently asked
Air quality in the Cocos Islands: your questions answered
What is the air quality in the Cocos Islands today?
Airleaf measures 1 city in the Cocos Islands. West Island reads AQI 52 right now.
How much forest has the Cocos Islands lost since 2001?
About 90,000 ha from 2001 to 2025, 23% of the forest it had in 2000, from the University of Maryland's yearly satellite maps of forest loss. 7,940 ha of it was cleared for good, for farms, mines or towns.
How does Airleaf measure air quality in the Cocos Islands?
Each city's reading is the US EPA air quality index, from ground monitoring stations where one has reported recently nearby, and from the CAMS atmospheric model elsewhere; each city's report says which. Tree cover is measured over the same 2 km radius in every city, so the cities compare like for like.
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