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Airleaf

City report · Lomami, Democratic Republic of the Congo

Gandajika Air quality today

Air quality in Gandajika currently reads AQI 54 (Moderate): Unusually sensitive people should consider limiting long outdoor exertion.

AQI 54

Air quality right now

Moderate

Main pollutant: PM2.5
PM2.5, fine particles (µg/m³)
9.1
tree cover
45.2%
trees in this area
142K
more trees needed
0

Measured across a 2 km radius around Gandajika, Democratic Republic of the Congo (12.57 km²), from a satellite image of Sep 14, 2026. Lower AQI is better: 0–50 is Good, above 300 is Hazardous.

Gandajika · AQI 54 (Moderate)

Dark green marks tree cover detected inside the study radius.Sentinel-2 L2A (ESA Copernicus) via Earth Search, captured Sep 14, 2026

Gandajika's tree count comes to 142,000 trees across 12.57 km², already at or above the 30% tree-cover level considered healthy for this area.

Air quality detail

Air quality in Gandajika today: AQI 54, Moderate

Main pollutant: PM2.5 · Observed Nov 10, 18:00 local time via Open-Meteo / CAMS, US EPA index. Values in µg/m³.

Model estimate · no ground station nearby

Health signal

Unusually sensitive people should consider limiting long outdoor exertion.

PM2.5

9.1

PM10

9.5

NO₂

0.8

O₃

58.0

SO₂

0.2

CO

187.0

Outdoor exercise
Fine for most people; unusually sensitive people should take long or hard exercise easier
Windows
Fine to open; close them if you are sensitive to pollution
Mask
Not needed for most people
Air purifier
Worth running if you are sensitive

Over the last 7 days, the CAMS air-quality model put Gandajika's daily AQI at 43 on average, from 32 on Nov 6 to an hourly peak of 66 on Nov 9.

Last 7 daysavg 43 · peak 66
Nov 4: AQI 51 (peak 53)Nov 5: AQI 52 (peak 62)Nov 6: AQI 32 (peak 52)Nov 7: AQI 34 (peak 52)Nov 8: AQI 32 (peak 48)Nov 9: AQI 45 (peak 66)Nov 10: AQI 54 (peak 56)
Nov 4Nov 10

Where Gandajika stands: the most polluted cities in the world right now · the cleanest

Tree cover detail

Tree cover in Gandajika: Healthy tree cover

45.2% tree cover against a 30% healthy-neighborhood target, across 12.57 km².

Target reached

Trees in this area

142,000

Target trees

142,000

More trees needed

0

CO₂ if planted / yr

0 kg

Deforestation · 2001–2025

How much forest has Gandajika lost?

Since 2001, the area within 10 km of Gandajika has lost about 12 hectares of forest (about 16 football pitches): 2% of the forest it had in 2000. Most of it (96%) was deforestation, forest cleared for good, mainly for farms, pasture and plantations.

Satellite image of the area around Gandajika, July 2017

2017: satellite photo from July 2017 of a 5 × 5 km area in the city center.

Forest lost since 2001
12 haabout 16 football pitches
Share of its forest
2%of what there was in 2000
Cleared for good
11 hadeforestation: turned into farms, mines or towns

The worst year was 2010, when about 3 hectares of forest were lost.

Forest lost each year around Gandajika, 2001–2025

Hectares of forest lost each year

Forest lost each year around Gandajika, 2001–2025. Use the left and right arrow keys to read each year.2.6

Show the figures as a table
Forest lost each year around Gandajika, 2001–2025
YearCleared for goodCan grow backTotal
2001under 1 haunder 1 haunder 1 ha
2002under 1 haunder 1 haunder 1 ha
2003under 1 haunder 1 haunder 1 ha
2004under 1 haunder 1 haunder 1 ha
2005under 1 haunder 1 haunder 1 ha
20061 haunder 1 ha1 ha
2007under 1 haunder 1 haunder 1 ha
2008under 1 haunder 1 haunder 1 ha
20092 haunder 1 ha2 ha
20102 haunder 1 ha3 ha
2011under 1 haunder 1 haunder 1 ha
2012under 1 haunder 1 haunder 1 ha
2013under 1 haunder 1 haunder 1 ha
2014under 1 haunder 1 haunder 1 ha
2015under 1 haunder 1 haunder 1 ha
2016under 1 haunder 1 haunder 1 ha
2017under 1 haunder 1 haunder 1 ha
2018under 1 haunder 1 haunder 1 ha
2019under 1 haunder 1 haunder 1 ha
2020under 1 haunder 1 haunder 1 ha
2021under 1 haunder 1 haunder 1 ha
2022under 1 haunder 1 haunder 1 ha
2023under 1 haunder 1 haunder 1 ha
2024under 1 haunder 1 haunder 1 ha
2025under 1 haunder 1 haunder 1 ha

What is causing deforestation around Gandajika?

  • Farms, pasture and plantationscleared for good92% · 11 ha
  • Towns and roadscleared for good3.4% · under 1 ha
  • Unknown causescause unknown4.3% · under 1 ha

Causes for 2025 are estimates, based on what caused forest loss in the same places up to 2024.

Forest gained and lost, 2000–2020

Forest in 2000
868 ha
Forest in 2020
1,190 ha
Overall change
+326 hamore forest than in 2000

Comparing satellite maps from 2000 and 2020, the forest around Gandajika grew from about 868 hectares to 1,190 hectares, a net gain of about 326 hectares (+38%). New forest grew on about 329 hectares, while 3 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.

These figures cover everything within 10 km of the city center, a wider area than the report above, because forest is usually lost at a city's edges.

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. Forest gained and lost 2000–2020: Potapov et al. 2022, UMD GLAD Global Land Cover and Land Use Change, CC BY 4.0. Images: contains modified Copernicus Sentinel data. How it's measured

In the same region

Measured cities near Gandajika

Same 2 km radius, same index — so they compare directly.

  • Mwene-Ditu

    Democratic Republic of the Congo

    62.6 km
    Tree cover
    35%
    Air quality
    54
  • Mbuji-Mayi

    Democratic Republic of the Congo

    78.7 km
    Tree cover
    27%
    Air quality
    32
  • Kabinda

    Democratic Republic of the Congo

    89.3 km
    Tree cover
    51%
    Air quality
    42
  • Kananga

    Democratic Republic of the Congo

    194.3 km
    Tree cover
    39%
    Air quality
    51
  • Kamina

    Democratic Republic of the Congo

    249.4 km
    Tree cover
    26%
    Air quality
    44
  • Bukama

    Democratic Republic of the Congo

    344.4 km
    Tree cover
    16%
    Air quality
    60

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Gandajika air quality (AQI) and tree cover — measured by Airleaf
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Frequently asked

Questions about Gandajika

What is the air quality (AQI) in Gandajika right now?

The latest reading for Gandajika shows an AQI of 54 (Moderate), observed Nov 10, 18:00 local time via Open-Meteo / CAMS, US EPA index. The main pollutant is PM2.5. Unusually sensitive people should consider limiting long outdoor exertion.

Is it safe to exercise outside in Gandajika today?

At AQI 54 (Moderate): fine for most people; unusually sensitive people should take long or hard exercise easier. Windows: fine to open; close them if you are sensitive to pollution. Masks: not needed for most people. The reading changes through the day, so check again before a long run or ride.

What has the air quality in Gandajika been like this week?

Over the last 7 days, the CAMS air-quality model put Gandajika's daily AQI at 43 on average, from 32 on Nov 6 to an hourly peak of 66 on Nov 9. No day averaged above 100, the level where the air turns unhealthy for sensitive groups.

How much forest has the area around Gandajika lost since 2001?

Since 2001, the area within 10 km of Gandajika has lost about 12 hectares of forest (about 16 football pitches): 2% of the forest it had in 2000. Most of it (96%) was deforestation, forest cleared for good, mainly for farms, pasture and plantations. Comparing satellite maps from 2000 and 2020, the forest around Gandajika grew from about 868 hectares to 1,190 hectares, a net gain of about 326 hectares (+38%). New forest grew on about 329 hectares, while 3 hectares were lost.

What is the tree count in Gandajika?

Gandajika has an estimated 142,000 trees across the 12.57 km² measured — 45.2% tree cover, already past the 30% tree-cover target set for this area.

How many more trees does Gandajika need?

Gandajika has already reached its tree-cover target, so no additional trees are needed to close the gap.

How are Gandajika's air quality and tree cover measured?

Air quality comes from ground monitoring stations via OpenAQ where one reports nearby, and otherwise, as here, from the Open-Meteo / CAMS model, which may differ from street-level monitors. Tree cover is measured from Sentinel-2 L2A (ESA Copernicus) via Earth Search satellite imagery at 10 m detail across a 2 km radius around Gandajika; the tree count is an estimate derived from that cover.

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