City report · Haut-Uele, Democratic Republic of the Congo
Isiro Air quality today
Air quality in Isiro currently reads AQI 58 (Moderate): Unusually sensitive people should consider limiting long outdoor exertion.
AQI 58
Air quality right now
Moderate
- PM2.5, fine particles (µg/m³)
- 13.1
- tree cover
- 41.9%
- trees in this area
- 132K
- more trees needed
- 0
Measured across a 2 km radius around Isiro, Democratic Republic of the Congo (12.57 km²), from a satellite image of Sep 11, 2026. Lower AQI is better: 0–50 is Good, above 300 is Hazardous.
Isiro · AQI 58 (Moderate)
Isiro's tree count comes to 131,633 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 Isiro today: AQI 58, Moderate
Main pollutant: PM2.5 · Observed Nov 10, 19:00 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
13.1
PM10
17.3
NO₂
0.8
O₃
52.0
SO₂
0.3
CO
188.0
- 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 Isiro's daily AQI at 52 on average, from 38 on Nov 7 to an hourly peak of 70 on Nov 5.
Where Isiro stands: the most polluted cities in the world right now · the cleanest
Tree cover detail
Tree cover in Isiro: Healthy tree cover
41.9% tree cover against a 30% healthy-neighborhood target, across 12.57 km².
Trees in this area
131,633
Target trees
131,633
More trees needed
0
CO₂ if planted / yr
0 kg
Deforestation · 2001–2025
How much forest has Isiro lost?
Since 2001, the area within 10 km of Isiro has lost about 10,100 hectares of forest (about 14,000 football pitches): 33% of the forest it had in 2000. Most of it was lost to shifting farming, so much of it can grow back. About 782 hectares (7.7%) was deforestation: forest cleared for good for farms, mines or towns.
2017: satellite photo from January 2017 of a 5 × 5 km area about 6 km north of the city center.
- Forest lost since 2001
- 10,100 haabout 14,000 football pitches
- Share of its forest
- 33%of what there was in 2000
- Cleared for good
- 782 hadeforestation: turned into farms, mines or towns
Forest loss has stayed about the same: about 836 hectares a year in 2021–2025, against 687 hectares a year in 2016–2020. The worst year was 2022, when about 979 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 | 106 ha | 120 ha |
| 2002 | 5 ha | 39 ha | 43 ha |
| 2003 | 5 ha | 64 ha | 69 ha |
| 2004 | 9 ha | 69 ha | 79 ha |
| 2005 | 4 ha | 58 ha | 62 ha |
| 2006 | under 1 ha | 20 ha | 21 ha |
| 2007 | 10 ha | 100 ha | 110 ha |
| 2008 | 5 ha | 54 ha | 59 ha |
| 2009 | 26 ha | 272 ha | 298 ha |
| 2010 | 7 ha | 121 ha | 128 ha |
| 2011 | 12 ha | 123 ha | 135 ha |
| 2012 | 13 ha | 138 ha | 151 ha |
| 2013 | 18 ha | 188 ha | 206 ha |
| 2014 | 47 ha | 458 ha | 505 ha |
| 2015 | 33 ha | 476 ha | 509 ha |
| 2016 | 52 ha | 403 ha | 455 ha |
| 2017 | 84 ha | 868 ha | 952 ha |
| 2018 | 52 ha | 515 ha | 567 ha |
| 2019 | 49 ha | 531 ha | 580 ha |
| 2020 | 66 ha | 817 ha | 883 ha |
| 2021 | 64 ha | 628 ha | 692 ha |
| 2022 | 64 ha | 915 ha | 979 ha |
| 2023 | 56 ha | 693 ha | 748 ha |
| 2024 | 63 ha | 914 ha | 977 ha |
| 2025 | 24 ha | 759 ha | 782 ha |
What is causing deforestation around Isiro?
- Shifting farmingcan grow back92% · 9,330 ha
- Towns and roadscleared for good5.3% · 534 ha
- Farms, pasture and plantationscleared for good2.5% · 248 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
- 26,400 ha
- Forest in 2020
- 25,300 ha
- Overall change
- −1,100 haless forest than in 2000
Comparing satellite maps from 2000 and 2020, the forest around Isiro shrank from about 26,400 hectares to 25,300 hectares, a net loss of about 1,100 hectares (−4.2%). New forest grew on about 202 hectares, but 1,300 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 Isiro
Same 2 km radius, same index — so they compare directly.
- Bakwa152.4 km
Democratic Republic of the Congo
- Tree cover
- 80%
- Air quality
- 80
- Bunia322.5 km
Democratic Republic of the Congo
- Tree cover
- 14%
- Air quality
- 39
- Beni327.2 km
Democratic Republic of the Congo
- Tree cover
- 20%
- Air quality
- 41
- Butembo346.9 km
Democratic Republic of the Congo
- Tree cover
- 19%
- Air quality
- 51
- Kisangani368.4 km
Democratic Republic of the Congo
- Tree cover
- 18%
- Air quality
- 40
- Yei370.1 km
South Sudan
- Tree cover
- 34%
- Air quality
- 62
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Frequently asked
Questions about Isiro
What is the air quality (AQI) in Isiro right now?
The latest reading for Isiro shows an AQI of 58 (Moderate), observed Nov 10, 19:00 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 Isiro today?
At AQI 58 (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 Isiro been like this week?
Over the last 7 days, the CAMS air-quality model put Isiro's daily AQI at 52 on average, from 38 on Nov 7 to an hourly peak of 70 on Nov 5. No day averaged above 100, the level where the air turns unhealthy for sensitive groups.
How much forest has the area around Isiro lost since 2001?
Since 2001, the area within 10 km of Isiro has lost about 10,100 hectares of forest (about 14,000 football pitches): 33% of the forest it had in 2000. Most of it was lost to shifting farming, so much of it can grow back. About 782 hectares (7.7%) was deforestation: forest cleared for good for farms, mines or towns. Forest loss has stayed about the same: about 836 hectares a year in 2021–2025, against 687 hectares a year in 2016–2020. Comparing satellite maps from 2000 and 2020, the forest around Isiro shrank from about 26,400 hectares to 25,300 hectares, a net loss of about 1,100 hectares (−4.2%). New forest grew on about 202 hectares, but 1,300 hectares were lost.
What is the tree count in Isiro?
Isiro has an estimated 131,633 trees across the 12.57 km² measured — 41.9% tree cover, already past the 30% tree-cover target set for this area.
How many more trees does Isiro need?
Isiro has already reached its tree-cover target, so no additional trees are needed to close the gap.
How are Isiro'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 Isiro; the tree count is an estimate derived from that cover.
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