City report · Yunnan, China
Lincang Air quality today
Air quality in Lincang currently reads AQI 79 (Moderate): Unusually sensitive people should consider limiting long outdoor exertion.
Air quality right now
AQI 79
Moderate
- PM2.5, fine particles (µg/m³)
- 24.0
- tree cover
- 15.3%
- trees in this area
- 48.0K
- more trees needed
- 46.1K
Measured across a 2 km radius around Linxiang District, Lincang, Yunnan, China (12.57 km²), from a satellite image of Aug 13, 2026. Lower AQI is better: 0–50 is Good, above 300 is Hazardous.
Lincang · AQI 79 (Moderate)
Lincang's tree count comes to 48,018 trees across 12.56 km² of land, 15 points below the 30% tree-cover level considered healthy for this area, so roughly 46,135 more trees would close the gap.
Air quality detail
Air quality in Lincang today: AQI 79, Moderate
Main pollutant: PM2.5 · Observed Nov 11, 21:00 local time via World Air Quality Index Project ground stations, US EPA index. Values in µg/m³.
Ground station · Bureau of Meteorology, Lincang (临沧市气象局), 2.6 km away
Health signal
Unusually sensitive people should consider limiting long outdoor exertion.
PM2.5
24.0
PM10
34.6
NO₂
—
O₃
—
SO₂
—
CO
—
Data: World Air Quality Index Project, Yunnan Environmental Protection Agency (云南省环境保护厅)
- 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 Lincang's daily AQI at 25 on average, from 9 on Nov 9 to an hourly peak of 65 on Nov 6.
Where Lincang stands: the most polluted cities in the world right now · the cleanest
Tree cover detail
Tree cover in Lincang: Critically low
15.3% tree cover against a 30% healthy-neighborhood target, across 12.56 km² of land.
Trees in this area
48,018
Target trees
94,153
More trees needed
46,135
CO₂ if planted / yr
1,015 t
Deforestation · 2001–2025
How much forest has Lincang lost?
Since 2001, the area within 10 km of Lincang has lost about 423 hectares of forest (about 590 football pitches): 3.5% of the forest it had in 2000. Most of it (65%) was deforestation, forest cleared for good, mainly for farms, pasture and plantations.
2017: satellite photo from February 2017 of a 5 × 5 km area about 7 km north of the city center.
- Forest lost since 2001
- 423 haabout 590 football pitches
- Share of its forest
- 3.5%of what there was in 2000
- Cleared for good
- 276 hadeforestation: turned into farms, mines or towns
The worst year was 2017, when about 71 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 | 2 ha |
| 2002 | 6 ha | 3 ha | 9 ha |
| 2003 | 5 ha | 3 ha | 8 ha |
| 2004 | 14 ha | 10 ha | 24 ha |
| 2005 | 6 ha | 2 ha | 8 ha |
| 2006 | 4 ha | 5 ha | 10 ha |
| 2007 | 10 ha | 6 ha | 16 ha |
| 2008 | 4 ha | 3 ha | 6 ha |
| 2009 | 9 ha | 2 ha | 11 ha |
| 2010 | 9 ha | 7 ha | 16 ha |
| 2011 | 5 ha | 14 ha | 19 ha |
| 2012 | 12 ha | 13 ha | 26 ha |
| 2013 | 8 ha | 4 ha | 12 ha |
| 2014 | 17 ha | 2 ha | 19 ha |
| 2015 | 11 ha | 3 ha | 14 ha |
| 2016 | 35 ha | 22 ha | 57 ha |
| 2017 | 47 ha | 24 ha | 71 ha |
| 2018 | 9 ha | 3 ha | 12 ha |
| 2019 | 14 ha | 3 ha | 17 ha |
| 2020 | 10 ha | under 1 ha | 11 ha |
| 2021 | 3 ha | under 1 ha | 4 ha |
| 2022 | 5 ha | 6 ha | 11 ha |
| 2023 | 8 ha | 4 ha | 11 ha |
| 2024 | 19 ha | 3 ha | 22 ha |
| 2025 | 5 ha | 4 ha | 9 ha |
What is causing deforestation around Lincang?
- Loggingcan grow back31% · 130 ha
- Farms, pasture and plantationscleared for good30% · 126 ha
- Towns and roadscleared for good24% · 100 ha
Also: mining and energy, storms, floods and other natural causes, 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
- 16,600 ha
- Forest in 2020
- 19,000 ha
- Overall change
- +2,420 hamore forest than in 2000
Comparing satellite maps from 2000 and 2020, the forest around Lincang grew from about 16,600 hectares to 19,000 hectares, a net gain of about 2,420 hectares (+15%). New forest grew on about 2,770 hectares, while 351 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 Lincang
Same 2 km radius, same index — so they compare directly.
- Ning’er134.0 km
China
- Tree cover
- 51%
- Air quality
- 19
- Pu'er151.0 km
China
- Tree cover
- 22%
- Air quality
- 39
- Longling County162.7 km
China
- Tree cover
- 57%
- Air quality
- 69
- Baoshan, Yunnan166.7 km
China
- Tree cover
- 18%
- Air quality
- 17
- Xiangcheng182.7 km
China
- Tree cover
- 7%
- Air quality
- 153
- Dali190.0 km
China
- Tree cover
- 38%
- Air quality
- 51
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Frequently asked
Questions about Lincang
What is the air quality (AQI) in Lincang right now?
The latest reading for Lincang shows an AQI of 79 (Moderate), measured Nov 11, 21:00 local time by the Bureau of Meteorology, Lincang (临沧市气象局) ground monitoring station, 2.6 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 Lincang today?
At AQI 79 (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 Lincang been like this week?
Over the last 7 days, the CAMS air-quality model put Lincang's daily AQI at 25 on average, from 9 on Nov 9 to an hourly peak of 65 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 Lincang lost since 2001?
Since 2001, the area within 10 km of Lincang has lost about 423 hectares of forest (about 590 football pitches): 3.5% of the forest it had in 2000. Most of it (65%) was deforestation, forest cleared for good, mainly for farms, pasture and plantations. Comparing satellite maps from 2000 and 2020, the forest around Lincang grew from about 16,600 hectares to 19,000 hectares, a net gain of about 2,420 hectares (+15%). New forest grew on about 2,770 hectares, while 351 hectares were lost.
What is the tree count in Lincang?
Lincang has an estimated 48,018 trees across the 12.56 km² of land measured — 15.3% tree cover, 15 percentage points short of the 30% tree-cover target set for this area.
How many more trees does Lincang need?
Lincang needs roughly 46,135 more trees to close a 15-point shortfall against its 30% tree-cover target — about 1,015 t of extra CO₂ absorbed per year once grown.
How are Lincang's air quality and tree cover measured?
Air quality is measured by ground monitoring stations near Linxiang District, 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 Linxiang District; the tree count is an estimate derived from that cover.
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