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City report · Western Cape, South Africa

George Air quality today

Air quality in George currently reads AQI 29 (Good): Air quality is satisfactory for everyone.

Air quality right now

AQI 29

Good

Main pollutant: PM2.5
PM2.5, fine particles (µg/m³)
5.3
tree cover
31.6%
trees in this area
99.3K
more trees needed
0

Measured across a 2 km radius around George Central, George, 6530, South Africa (12.57 km²), from a satellite image of Mar 12, 2026. Lower AQI is better: 0–50 is Good, above 300 is Hazardous.

George · AQI 29 (Good)

Dark green marks tree cover detected inside the study radius.Sentinel-2 L2A (ESA Copernicus) via Earth Search, captured Mar 12, 2026

George's tree count comes to 99,274 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 George today: AQI 29, Good

Main pollutant: PM2.5 · Observed Nov 11, 16:00 local time via World Air Quality Index Project ground stations, US EPA index. Values in µg/m³.

Ground station · George-NAQI, Garden Route, South Africa, 2.3 km away

Health signal

Air quality is satisfactory for everyone.

PM2.5

5.3

PM10

28.1

NO₂

—

O₃

—

SO₂

—

CO

—

Data: World Air Quality Index Project, South African Air Quality Information System - SAAQIS

Outdoor exercise
A good day to be active outside
Windows
Open them to air the house
Mask
Not needed
Air purifier
Not needed

Over the last 7 days, the CAMS air-quality model put George's daily AQI at 36 on average, from 25 on Nov 8 to an hourly peak of 57 on Nov 6.

Last 7 days · model estimateavg 36 · peak 57
Nov 4: AQI 33 (peak 39)Nov 5: AQI 40 (peak 50)Nov 6: AQI 38 (peak 57)Nov 7: AQI 45 (peak 55)Nov 8: AQI 25 (peak 36)Nov 9: AQI 26 (peak 52)Nov 10: AQI 47 (peak 53)
Nov 4Nov 10

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

Tree cover detail

Tree cover in George: Healthy tree cover

31.6% tree cover against a 30% healthy-neighborhood target, across 12.57 km².

Target reached

Trees in this area

99,274

Target trees

99,274

More trees needed

0

CO₂ if planted / yr

0 kg

Deforestation · 2001–2025

How much forest has George lost?

Since 2001, the area within 10 km of George has lost about 4,510 hectares of forest (about 6,300 football pitches): 28% of the forest it had in 2000. The biggest cause was wildfires (36%), after which forest can grow back. About 1,760 hectares (39%) was deforestation: forest cleared for good for farms, mines or towns.

Satellite image of the area around George, January 2017

2017: satellite photo from January 2017 of a 5 × 5 km area about 6 km northwest of the city center.

Forest lost since 2001
4,510 haabout 6,300 football pitches
Share of its forest
28%of what there was in 2000
Cleared for good
1,760 hadeforestation: turned into farms, mines or towns

Forest loss is slowing down: about 97 hectares a year in 2021–2025, down from 326 hectares a year in 2016–2020. The worst year was 2005, when about 847 hectares of forest were lost.

Forest lost each year around George, 2001–2025

Hectares of forest lost each year

Forest lost each year around George, 2001–2025. Use the left and right arrow keys to read each year.847

Show the figures as a table
Forest lost each year around George, 2001–2025
YearCleared for goodCan grow backTotal
20017 ha18 ha24 ha
200246 ha105 ha151 ha
2003124 ha78 ha202 ha
2004116 ha200 ha316 ha
2005333 ha514 ha847 ha
2006127 ha35 ha162 ha
2007254 ha23 ha277 ha
200818 ha7 ha25 ha
200956 ha86 ha142 ha
201020 ha40 ha60 ha
201138 ha7 ha45 ha
201218 ha13 ha30 ha
201334 ha21 ha55 ha
201420 ha28 ha48 ha
201513 ha5 ha18 ha
201683 ha17 ha100 ha
201797 ha48 ha145 ha
201887 ha334 ha421 ha
201944 ha737 ha781 ha
202039 ha143 ha182 ha
202166 ha47 ha113 ha
202254 ha37 ha91 ha
202330 ha70 ha100 ha
202416 ha42 ha58 ha
202521 ha101 ha122 ha

What is causing deforestation around George?

  • Wildfirescan grow back36% · 1,610 ha
  • Loggingcan grow back25% · 1,150 ha
  • Farms, pasture and plantationscleared for good23% · 1,030 ha

Also: towns and roads, unknown causes.

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
14,000 ha
Forest in 2020
13,000 ha
Overall change
−966 haless forest than in 2000

Comparing satellite maps from 2000 and 2020, the forest around George shrank from about 14,000 hectares to 13,000 hectares, a net loss of about 966 hectares (−6.9%). New forest grew on about 488 hectares, but 1,450 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 George

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

  • Kariega

    South Africa

    272.3 km
    Tree cover
    30%
    Air quality
    23
  • Worcester

    South Africa

    280.6 km
    Tree cover
    10%
    Air quality
    31
  • Gqeberha

    South Africa

    290.8 km
    Tree cover
    21%
    Air quality
    60
  • Paarl

    South Africa

    323.0 km
    Tree cover
    21%
    Air quality
    44
  • Somerset West

    South Africa

    335.8 km
    Tree cover
    17%
    Air quality
    50
  • Cape Town

    South Africa

    372.5 km
    Tree cover
    15%
    Air quality
    50

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

Questions about George

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

The latest reading for George shows an AQI of 29 (Good), measured Nov 11, 16:00 local time by the George-NAQI, Garden Route, South Africa ground monitoring station, 2.3 km away, via OpenAQ. The main pollutant is PM2.5. Air quality is satisfactory for everyone.

Is it safe to exercise outside in George today?

At AQI 29 (Good): a good day to be active outside. Windows: open them to air the house. Masks: not needed. The reading changes through the day, so check again before a long run or ride.

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

Over the last 7 days, the CAMS air-quality model put George's daily AQI at 36 on average, from 25 on Nov 8 to an hourly peak of 57 on Nov 6. No day averaged above 100, the level where the air turns unhealthy for sensitive groups.

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

Since 2001, the area within 10 km of George has lost about 4,510 hectares of forest (about 6,300 football pitches): 28% of the forest it had in 2000. The biggest cause was wildfires (36%), after which forest can grow back. About 1,760 hectares (39%) was deforestation: forest cleared for good for farms, mines or towns. Forest loss is slowing down: about 97 hectares a year in 2021–2025, down from 326 hectares a year in 2016–2020. Comparing satellite maps from 2000 and 2020, the forest around George shrank from about 14,000 hectares to 13,000 hectares, a net loss of about 966 hectares (−6.9%). New forest grew on about 488 hectares, but 1,450 hectares were lost.

What is the tree count in George?

George has an estimated 99,274 trees across the 12.57 km² measured — 31.6% tree cover, already past the 30% tree-cover target set for this area.

How many more trees does George need?

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

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

Air quality is measured by ground monitoring stations near George Central, via OpenAQ; the 7-day trend is the Open-Meteo / CAMS model's estimate. 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 George Central; the tree count is an estimate derived from that cover.

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