City report · Mongala, Democratic Republic of the Congo
Lisala Air quality today
Air quality in Lisala currently reads AQI 63 (Moderate): Unusually sensitive people should consider limiting long outdoor exertion.
AQI 63
Air quality right now
Moderate
- PM2.5, fine particles (µg/m³)
- 14.9
- tree cover
- 66.9%
- trees in this area
- 168K
- more trees needed
- 0
Measured across a 2 km radius around Lisala, Democratic Republic of the Congo (12.57 km²), from a satellite image of Sep 25, 2026. Lower AQI is better: 0–50 is Good, above 300 is Hazardous.
Lisala · AQI 63 (Moderate)
Lisala's tree count comes to 167,718 trees across 10.03 km² of land, already at or above the 30% tree-cover level considered healthy for this area.
Air quality detail
Air quality in Lisala today: AQI 63, Moderate
Main pollutant: PM2.5 · Observed Nov 10, 18:00 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
14.9
PM10
19.4
NO₂
0.4
O₃
32.0
SO₂
0.2
CO
171.0
- 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 Lisala's daily AQI at 45 on average, from 29 on Nov 5 to an hourly peak of 69 on Nov 4.
Where Lisala stands: the most polluted cities in the world right now · the cleanest
Tree cover detail
Tree cover in Lisala: Healthy tree cover
66.9% tree cover against a 30% healthy-neighborhood target, across 10.03 km² of land.
Trees in this area
167,718
Target trees
167,718
More trees needed
0
CO₂ if planted / yr
0 kg
Deforestation · 2001–2025
How much forest has Lisala lost?
Since 2001, the area within 10 km of Lisala has lost about 11,600 hectares of forest (about 16,000 football pitches): 49% of the forest it had in 2000. Most of it (69%) 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 northwest of the city center.
- Forest lost since 2001
- 11,600 haabout 16,000 football pitches
- Share of its forest
- 49%of what there was in 2000
- Cleared for good
- 8,020 hadeforestation: turned into farms, mines or towns
Forest loss is slowing down: about 290 hectares a year in 2021–2025, down from 790 hectares a year in 2016–2020. The worst year was 2017, when about 1,100 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 | 219 ha | 65 ha | 284 ha |
| 2002 | 196 ha | 68 ha | 264 ha |
| 2003 | 191 ha | 43 ha | 234 ha |
| 2004 | 51 ha | 12 ha | 63 ha |
| 2005 | 95 ha | 43 ha | 138 ha |
| 2006 | 385 ha | 115 ha | 500 ha |
| 2007 | 191 ha | 44 ha | 235 ha |
| 2008 | 247 ha | 34 ha | 281 ha |
| 2009 | 288 ha | 110 ha | 398 ha |
| 2010 | 523 ha | 147 ha | 670 ha |
| 2011 | 448 ha | 168 ha | 616 ha |
| 2012 | 99 ha | 56 ha | 155 ha |
| 2013 | 364 ha | 321 ha | 685 ha |
| 2014 | 574 ha | 311 ha | 885 ha |
| 2015 | 589 ha | 240 ha | 829 ha |
| 2016 | 756 ha | 255 ha | 1,010 ha |
| 2017 | 784 ha | 313 ha | 1,100 ha |
| 2018 | 304 ha | 148 ha | 452 ha |
| 2019 | 446 ha | 221 ha | 667 ha |
| 2020 | 494 ha | 227 ha | 721 ha |
| 2021 | 172 ha | 133 ha | 305 ha |
| 2022 | 125 ha | 117 ha | 242 ha |
| 2023 | 72 ha | 99 ha | 171 ha |
| 2024 | 314 ha | 247 ha | 561 ha |
| 2025 | 94 ha | 79 ha | 173 ha |
What is causing deforestation around Lisala?
- Farms, pasture and plantationscleared for good55% · 6,390 ha
- Shifting farmingcan grow back30% · 3,530 ha
- Towns and roadscleared for good14% · 1,630 ha
Also: storms, floods and other natural causes, wildfires, 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
- 17,500 ha
- Forest in 2020
- 10,900 ha
- Overall change
- −6,690 haless forest than in 2000
Comparing satellite maps from 2000 and 2020, the forest around Lisala shrank from about 17,500 hectares to 10,900 hectares, a net loss of about 6,690 hectares (−38%). New forest grew on about 158 hectares, but 6,850 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 Lisala
Same 2 km radius, same index — so they compare directly.
- Bumba105.8 km
Democratic Republic of the Congo
- Tree cover
- 47%
- Air quality
- 60
- Gemena229.4 km
Democratic Republic of the Congo
- Tree cover
- 58%
- Air quality
- 64
- Impfondo388.7 km
Republic of the Congo
- Tree cover
- 65%
- Air quality
- 51
- Bangui410.5 km
Central African Republic
- Tree cover
- 26%
- Air quality
- 65
- Bambari412.8 km
Central African Republic
- Tree cover
- 46%
- Air quality
- 73
- Bimbo416.3 km
Central African Republic
- Tree cover
- 61%
- Air quality
- 84
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Frequently asked
Questions about Lisala
What is the air quality (AQI) in Lisala right now?
The latest reading for Lisala shows an AQI of 63 (Moderate), observed Nov 10, 18:00 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 Lisala today?
At AQI 63 (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 Lisala been like this week?
Over the last 7 days, the CAMS air-quality model put Lisala's daily AQI at 45 on average, from 29 on Nov 5 to an hourly peak of 69 on Nov 4. No day averaged above 100, the level where the air turns unhealthy for sensitive groups.
How much forest has the area around Lisala lost since 2001?
Since 2001, the area within 10 km of Lisala has lost about 11,600 hectares of forest (about 16,000 football pitches): 49% of the forest it had in 2000. Most of it (69%) was deforestation, forest cleared for good, mainly for farms, pasture and plantations. Forest loss is slowing down: about 290 hectares a year in 2021–2025, down from 790 hectares a year in 2016–2020. Comparing satellite maps from 2000 and 2020, the forest around Lisala shrank from about 17,500 hectares to 10,900 hectares, a net loss of about 6,690 hectares (−38%). New forest grew on about 158 hectares, but 6,850 hectares were lost.
What is the tree count in Lisala?
Lisala has an estimated 167,718 trees across the 10.03 km² of land measured — 66.9% tree cover, already past the 30% tree-cover target set for this area.
How many more trees does Lisala need?
Lisala has already reached its tree-cover target, so no additional trees are needed to close the gap.
How are Lisala'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 Lisala; the tree count is an estimate derived from that cover.
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