City report · Uganda
Kampala Air quality today
Air quality in Kampala currently reads AQI 88 (Moderate): Unusually sensitive people should consider limiting long outdoor exertion.
AQI 88
Air quality right now
Moderate
- PM2.5, fine particles (µg/m³)
- 29.0
- tree cover
- 18.6%
- trees in this area
- 58.4K
- more trees needed
- 35.8K
Measured across a 2 km radius around Nakasero, Kampala, Uganda (12.57 km²), from a satellite image of Sep 7, 2026. Lower AQI is better: 0–50 is Good, above 300 is Hazardous.
Kampala · AQI 88 (Moderate)
Kampala's tree count comes to 58,434 trees across 12.57 km², 11 points below the 30% tree-cover level considered healthy for this area, so roughly 35,814 more trees would close the gap.
Air quality detail
Air quality in Kampala today: AQI 88, Moderate
Main pollutant: PM2.5 · Observed Nov 11, 19:00 local time via OpenAQ ground stations, US EPA index. Values in µg/m³.
Ground station · Ntinda, 5.8 km away
Health signal
Unusually sensitive people should consider limiting long outdoor exertion.
PM2.5
29.0
PM10
—
NO₂
—
O₃
—
SO₂
—
CO
—
Data: OpenAQ · AirGradient, AirQo
- 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 Kampala's daily AQI at 87 on average, from 77 on Nov 8 to an hourly peak of 153 on Nov 9.
Where Kampala stands: the most polluted cities in the world right now · the cleanest
Tree cover detail
Tree cover in Kampala: Below target
18.6% tree cover against a 30% healthy-neighborhood target, across 12.57 km².
Trees in this area
58,434
Target trees
94,248
More trees needed
35,814
CO₂ if planted / yr
787.9 t
Deforestation · 2001–2025
How much forest has Kampala lost?
Since 2001, the area within 10 km of Kampala has lost about 869 hectares of forest (about 1,200 football pitches): 19% of the forest it had in 2000. Most of it (96%) was deforestation, forest cleared for good, mainly for towns and roads.
2017: satellite photo from August 2017 of a 5 × 5 km area about 7 km west of the city center.
- Forest lost since 2001
- 869 haabout 1,200 football pitches
- Share of its forest
- 19%of what there was in 2000
- Cleared for good
- 837 hadeforestation: turned into farms, mines or towns
Forest loss is slowing down: about 35 hectares a year in 2021–2025, down from 53 hectares a year in 2016–2020. The worst year was 2011, when about 140 hectares of forest were lost.
Kampala's full deforestation reportHectares of forest lost each year
Show the figures as a table
| Year | Cleared for good | Can grow back | Total |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2001 | 6 ha | 2 ha | 7 ha |
| 2002 | 2 ha | under 1 ha | 2 ha |
| 2003 | 4 ha | under 1 ha | 5 ha |
| 2004 | 8 ha | under 1 ha | 8 ha |
| 2005 | 31 ha | 2 ha | 33 ha |
| 2006 | 39 ha | 4 ha | 43 ha |
| 2007 | 36 ha | under 1 ha | 36 ha |
| 2008 | 19 ha | under 1 ha | 19 ha |
| 2009 | 11 ha | under 1 ha | 12 ha |
| 2010 | 12 ha | 1 ha | 14 ha |
| 2011 | 133 ha | 7 ha | 140 ha |
| 2012 | 8 ha | under 1 ha | 8 ha |
| 2013 | 47 ha | 2 ha | 48 ha |
| 2014 | 21 ha | under 1 ha | 21 ha |
| 2015 | 32 ha | under 1 ha | 32 ha |
| 2016 | 88 ha | under 1 ha | 89 ha |
| 2017 | 92 ha | under 1 ha | 93 ha |
| 2018 | 24 ha | 2 ha | 26 ha |
| 2019 | 22 ha | 2 ha | 24 ha |
| 2020 | 32 ha | under 1 ha | 33 ha |
| 2021 | 66 ha | under 1 ha | 67 ha |
| 2022 | 29 ha | under 1 ha | 30 ha |
| 2023 | 27 ha | under 1 ha | 27 ha |
| 2024 | 24 ha | under 1 ha | 24 ha |
| 2025 | 26 ha | 2 ha | 28 ha |
What is causing deforestation around Kampala?
- Towns and roadscleared for good75% · 649 ha
- Farms, pasture and plantationscleared for good22% · 189 ha
- Storms, floods and other natural causescan grow back3.1% · 27 ha
Also: 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
- 4,110 ha
- Forest in 2020
- 3,620 ha
- Overall change
- −487 haless forest than in 2000
Comparing satellite maps from 2000 and 2020, the forest around Kampala shrank from about 4,110 hectares to 3,620 hectares, a net loss of about 487 hectares (−12%). New forest grew on about 150 hectares, but 637 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 Kampala
Same 2 km radius, same index — so they compare directly.
- Kajansi12.4 km
Uganda
- Tree cover
- 17%
- Air quality
- 88
- Mukono19.7 km
Uganda
- Tree cover
- 25%
- Air quality
- 88
- Katabi28.7 km
Uganda
- Tree cover
- 41%
- Air quality
- 90
- Lugazi39.9 km
Uganda
- Tree cover
- 36%
- Air quality
- 116
- Mityana63.2 km
Uganda
- Tree cover
- 73%
- Air quality
- 60
Also compared:Kampala vs MbararaKampala vs Gulu
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Frequently asked
Questions about Kampala
What is the air quality (AQI) in Kampala right now?
The latest reading for Kampala shows an AQI of 88 (Moderate), measured Nov 11, 19:00 local time by the Ntinda ground monitoring station, 5.8 km away, via OpenAQ. The main pollutant is PM2.5. Unusually sensitive people should consider limiting long outdoor exertion.
Is it safe to exercise outside in Kampala today?
At AQI 88 (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 Kampala been like this week?
Over the last 7 days, the CAMS air-quality model put Kampala's daily AQI at 87 on average, from 77 on Nov 8 to an hourly peak of 153 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 Kampala lost since 2001?
Since 2001, the area within 10 km of Kampala has lost about 869 hectares of forest (about 1,200 football pitches): 19% of the forest it had in 2000. Most of it (96%) was deforestation, forest cleared for good, mainly for towns and roads. Forest loss is slowing down: about 35 hectares a year in 2021–2025, down from 53 hectares a year in 2016–2020. Comparing satellite maps from 2000 and 2020, the forest around Kampala shrank from about 4,110 hectares to 3,620 hectares, a net loss of about 487 hectares (−12%). New forest grew on about 150 hectares, but 637 hectares were lost.
What is the tree count in Kampala?
Kampala has an estimated 58,434 trees across the 12.57 km² measured — 18.6% tree cover, 11 percentage points short of the 30% tree-cover target set for this area.
How many more trees does Kampala need?
Kampala needs roughly 35,814 more trees to close a 11-point shortfall against its 30% tree-cover target — about 787.9 t of extra CO₂ absorbed per year once grown.
How are Kampala's air quality and tree cover measured?
Air quality is measured by ground monitoring stations near Nakasero, 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 Nakasero; the tree count is an estimate derived from that cover.
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