City report · Haut-Katanga, Democratic Republic of the Congo
Likasi Air quality today
Air quality in Likasi currently reads AQI 56 (Moderate): Unusually sensitive people should consider limiting long outdoor exertion.
AQI 56
Air quality right now
Moderate
- PM2.5, fine particles (µg/m³)
- 10.9
- tree cover
- 11.3%
- trees in this area
- 35.5K
- more trees needed
- 58.7K
Measured across a 2 km radius around Likasi, Democratic Republic of the Congo (12.57 km²), from a satellite image of Sep 23, 2026. Lower AQI is better: 0–50 is Good, above 300 is Hazardous.
Likasi · AQI 56 (Moderate)
Likasi's tree count comes to 35,500 trees across 12.57 km², 19 points below the 30% tree-cover level considered healthy for this area, so roughly 58,748 more trees would close the gap.
Air quality detail
Air quality in Likasi today: AQI 56, Moderate
Main pollutant: PM2.5 · Observed Nov 10, 15:00 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
10.9
PM10
13.4
NO₂
0.1
O₃
74.0
SO₂
0.9
CO
134.0
- 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 Likasi's daily AQI at 62 on average, from 43 on Nov 8 to an hourly peak of 90 on Nov 5.
Where Likasi stands: the most polluted cities in the world right now · the cleanest
Tree cover detail
Tree cover in Likasi: Critically low
11.3% tree cover against a 30% healthy-neighborhood target, across 12.57 km².
Trees in this area
35,500
Target trees
94,248
More trees needed
58,748
CO₂ if planted / yr
1,292 t
Deforestation · 2001–2025
How much forest has Likasi lost?
Since 2001, the area within 10 km of Likasi has lost about 858 hectares of forest (about 1,200 football pitches): 18% of the forest it had in 2000. Most of it (90%) was deforestation, forest cleared for good, mainly for farms, pasture and plantations.
2017: satellite photo from July 2017 of a 5 × 5 km area about 7 km southwest of the city center.
- Forest lost since 2001
- 858 haabout 1,200 football pitches
- Share of its forest
- 18%of what there was in 2000
- Cleared for good
- 771 hadeforestation: turned into farms, mines or towns
Forest loss is speeding up: about 91 hectares a year in 2021–2025, up from 48 hectares a year in 2016–2020. The worst year was 2023, when about 159 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 | 2 ha | under 1 ha | 2 ha |
| 2002 | under 1 ha | under 1 ha | under 1 ha |
| 2003 | 5 ha | under 1 ha | 5 ha |
| 2004 | under 1 ha | under 1 ha | under 1 ha |
| 2005 | 3 ha | under 1 ha | 3 ha |
| 2006 | under 1 ha | under 1 ha | under 1 ha |
| 2007 | 9 ha | under 1 ha | 9 ha |
| 2008 | under 1 ha | under 1 ha | under 1 ha |
| 2009 | 14 ha | under 1 ha | 14 ha |
| 2010 | under 1 ha | under 1 ha | under 1 ha |
| 2011 | 51 ha | under 1 ha | 51 ha |
| 2012 | 14 ha | under 1 ha | 14 ha |
| 2013 | 11 ha | 7 ha | 18 ha |
| 2014 | 17 ha | 2 ha | 19 ha |
| 2015 | 25 ha | under 1 ha | 26 ha |
| 2016 | 42 ha | 9 ha | 51 ha |
| 2017 | 30 ha | 10 ha | 40 ha |
| 2018 | 40 ha | 2 ha | 41 ha |
| 2019 | 35 ha | 8 ha | 43 ha |
| 2020 | 59 ha | 8 ha | 66 ha |
| 2021 | 52 ha | 7 ha | 59 ha |
| 2022 | 93 ha | 3 ha | 96 ha |
| 2023 | 139 ha | 20 ha | 159 ha |
| 2024 | 68 ha | 9 ha | 77 ha |
| 2025 | 61 ha | 3 ha | 64 ha |
What is causing deforestation around Likasi?
- Farms, pasture and plantationscleared for good75% · 642 ha
- Mining and energycleared for good14% · 120 ha
- Shifting farmingcan grow back10% · 86 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
- 4,700 ha
- Forest in 2020
- 5,310 ha
- Overall change
- +606 hamore forest than in 2000
Comparing satellite maps from 2000 and 2020, the forest around Likasi grew from about 4,700 hectares to 5,310 hectares, a net gain of about 606 hectares (+13%). New forest grew on about 1,130 hectares, while 520 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 Likasi
Same 2 km radius, same index — so they compare directly.
- Kipushi103.0 km
Democratic Republic of the Congo
- Tree cover
- 3%
- Air quality
- 53
- Lubumbashi110.5 km
Democratic Republic of the Congo
- Tree cover
- 12%
- Air quality
- 63
- Solwezi137.2 km
Zambia
- Tree cover
- 10%
- Air quality
- 59
- Chililabombwe193.8 km
Zambia
- Tree cover
- 9%
- Air quality
- 52
- Chingola212.4 km
Zambia
- Tree cover
- 17%
- Air quality
- 52
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Frequently asked
Questions about Likasi
What is the air quality (AQI) in Likasi right now?
The latest reading for Likasi shows an AQI of 56 (Moderate), observed Nov 10, 15:00 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 Likasi today?
At AQI 56 (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 Likasi been like this week?
Over the last 7 days, the CAMS air-quality model put Likasi's daily AQI at 62 on average, from 43 on Nov 8 to an hourly peak of 90 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 Likasi lost since 2001?
Since 2001, the area within 10 km of Likasi has lost about 858 hectares of forest (about 1,200 football pitches): 18% of the forest it had in 2000. Most of it (90%) was deforestation, forest cleared for good, mainly for farms, pasture and plantations. Forest loss is speeding up: about 91 hectares a year in 2021–2025, up from 48 hectares a year in 2016–2020. Comparing satellite maps from 2000 and 2020, the forest around Likasi grew from about 4,700 hectares to 5,310 hectares, a net gain of about 606 hectares (+13%). New forest grew on about 1,130 hectares, while 520 hectares were lost.
What is the tree count in Likasi?
Likasi has an estimated 35,500 trees across the 12.57 km² measured — 11.3% tree cover, 19 percentage points short of the 30% tree-cover target set for this area.
How many more trees does Likasi need?
Likasi needs roughly 58,748 more trees to close a 19-point shortfall against its 30% tree-cover target — about 1,292 t of extra CO₂ absorbed per year once grown.
How are Likasi'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 Likasi; the tree count is an estimate derived from that cover.
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