City report · Zambia
Kitwe Air quality today
Air quality in Kitwe currently reads AQI 52 (Moderate): Unusually sensitive people should consider limiting long outdoor exertion.
AQI 52
Air quality right now
Moderate
- PM2.5, fine particles (µg/m³)
- 11.7
- tree cover
- 16.8%
- trees in this area
- 52.8K
- more trees needed
- 41.5K
Measured across a 2 km radius around Parklands, Kitwe, Zambia (12.57 km²), from a satellite image of Sep 18, 2026. Lower AQI is better: 0–50 is Good, above 300 is Hazardous.
Kitwe · AQI 52 (Moderate)
Kitwe's tree count comes to 52,779 trees across 12.57 km², 13 points below the 30% tree-cover level considered healthy for this area, so roughly 41,469 more trees would close the gap.
Air quality detail
Air quality in Kitwe today: AQI 52, 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
11.7
PM10
13.0
NO₂
2.8
O₃
62.0
SO₂
5.9
CO
297.0
- 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 Kitwe's daily AQI at 70 on average, from 50 on Nov 10 to an hourly peak of 92 on Nov 6.
Where Kitwe stands: the most polluted cities in the world right now · the cleanest
Tree cover detail
Tree cover in Kitwe: Critically low
16.8% tree cover against a 30% healthy-neighborhood target, across 12.57 km².
Trees in this area
52,779
Target trees
94,248
More trees needed
41,469
CO₂ if planted / yr
912.3 t
Deforestation · 2001–2025
How much forest has Kitwe lost?
Since 2001, the area within 10 km of Kitwe has lost about 955 hectares of forest (about 1,300 football pitches): 47% of the forest it had in 2000. The biggest cause was logging (39%), after which forest can grow back. About 387 hectares (40%) was deforestation: forest cleared for good for farms, mines or towns.
2017: satellite photo from August 2017 of a 5 × 5 km area about 7 km southeast of the city center.
- Forest lost since 2001
- 955 haabout 1,300 football pitches
- Share of its forest
- 47%of what there was in 2000
- Cleared for good
- 387 hadeforestation: turned into farms, mines or towns
Forest loss is slowing down: about 29 hectares a year in 2021–2025, down from 68 hectares a year in 2016–2020. The worst year was 2010, when about 181 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 | 1 ha | under 1 ha | 1 ha |
| 2002 | 20 ha | 4 ha | 23 ha |
| 2003 | 4 ha | under 1 ha | 4 ha |
| 2004 | 3 ha | under 1 ha | 3 ha |
| 2005 | 3 ha | under 1 ha | 3 ha |
| 2006 | 2 ha | 26 ha | 27 ha |
| 2007 | under 1 ha | under 1 ha | under 1 ha |
| 2008 | 4 ha | 112 ha | 116 ha |
| 2009 | 4 ha | 4 ha | 8 ha |
| 2010 | 49 ha | 132 ha | 181 ha |
| 2011 | under 1 ha | under 1 ha | under 1 ha |
| 2012 | 45 ha | 20 ha | 64 ha |
| 2013 | 22 ha | under 1 ha | 23 ha |
| 2014 | 7 ha | 2 ha | 9 ha |
| 2015 | 5 ha | 2 ha | 8 ha |
| 2016 | 30 ha | 27 ha | 57 ha |
| 2017 | 40 ha | 70 ha | 110 ha |
| 2018 | 20 ha | 25 ha | 45 ha |
| 2019 | 15 ha | 46 ha | 61 ha |
| 2020 | 39 ha | 26 ha | 65 ha |
| 2021 | 19 ha | 24 ha | 42 ha |
| 2022 | 13 ha | 4 ha | 17 ha |
| 2023 | 10 ha | 10 ha | 20 ha |
| 2024 | 11 ha | 14 ha | 25 ha |
| 2025 | 21 ha | 20 ha | 41 ha |
What is causing deforestation around Kitwe?
- Loggingcan grow back39% · 376 ha
- Farms, pasture and plantationscleared for good28% · 270 ha
- Shifting farmingcan grow back20% · 192 ha
Also: towns and roads, mining and energy, 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
- 4,780 ha
- Forest in 2020
- 5,580 ha
- Overall change
- +797 hamore forest than in 2000
Comparing satellite maps from 2000 and 2020, the forest around Kitwe grew from about 4,780 hectares to 5,580 hectares, a net gain of about 797 hectares (+17%). New forest grew on about 1,640 hectares, while 847 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 Kitwe
Same 2 km radius, same index — so they compare directly.
- Kalulushi13.6 km
Zambia
- Tree cover
- 26%
- Air quality
- 54
- Luanshya43.2 km
Zambia
- Tree cover
- 18%
- Air quality
- 59
- Chingola46.9 km
Zambia
- Tree cover
- 17%
- Air quality
- 52
- Chililabombwe64.5 km
Zambia
- Tree cover
- 9%
- Air quality
- 52
Also compared:Kitwe vs LusakaKitwe vs Chipata
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Frequently asked
Questions about Kitwe
What is the air quality (AQI) in Kitwe right now?
The latest reading for Kitwe shows an AQI of 52 (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 Kitwe today?
At AQI 52 (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 Kitwe been like this week?
Over the last 7 days, the CAMS air-quality model put Kitwe's daily AQI at 70 on average, from 50 on Nov 10 to an hourly peak of 92 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 Kitwe lost since 2001?
Since 2001, the area within 10 km of Kitwe has lost about 955 hectares of forest (about 1,300 football pitches): 47% of the forest it had in 2000. The biggest cause was logging (39%), after which forest can grow back. About 387 hectares (40%) was deforestation: forest cleared for good for farms, mines or towns. Forest loss is slowing down: about 29 hectares a year in 2021–2025, down from 68 hectares a year in 2016–2020. Comparing satellite maps from 2000 and 2020, the forest around Kitwe grew from about 4,780 hectares to 5,580 hectares, a net gain of about 797 hectares (+17%). New forest grew on about 1,640 hectares, while 847 hectares were lost.
What is the tree count in Kitwe?
Kitwe has an estimated 52,779 trees across the 12.57 km² measured — 16.8% tree cover, 13 percentage points short of the 30% tree-cover target set for this area.
How many more trees does Kitwe need?
Kitwe needs roughly 41,469 more trees to close a 13-point shortfall against its 30% tree-cover target — about 912.3 t of extra CO₂ absorbed per year once grown.
How are Kitwe'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 Parklands; the tree count is an estimate derived from that cover.
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