City report · Riau, Indonesia
Pekanbaru Air quality today
Air quality in Pekanbaru currently reads AQI 53 (Moderate): Unusually sensitive people should consider limiting long outdoor exertion.
AQI 53
Air quality right now
Moderate
- PM2.5, fine particles (µg/m³)
- 10.3
- tree cover
- 11.3%
- trees in this area
- 35.5K
- more trees needed
- 58.7K
Measured across a 2 km radius around Pekanbaru, Pekanbaru City, Riau, Indonesia (12.57 km²), from a satellite image of Sep 14, 2026. Lower AQI is better: 0–50 is Good, above 300 is Hazardous.
Pekanbaru · AQI 53 (Moderate)
Pekanbaru'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 Pekanbaru today: AQI 53, Moderate
Main pollutant: PM2.5 · Observed Nov 11, 23:00 local time via World Air Quality Index Project ground stations, US EPA index. Values in µg/m³.
Ground station · Pekanbaru, Indonesia, 6.2 km away
Health signal
Unusually sensitive people should consider limiting long outdoor exertion.
PM2.5
10.3
PM10
—
NO₂
—
O₃
—
SO₂
—
CO
—
Data: World Air Quality Index Project, BMKG | Badan Meteorologi, Klimatologi dan Geofisika
- 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 Pekanbaru's daily AQI at 51 on average, from 42 on Nov 11 to an hourly peak of 96 on Nov 8.
This is the US EPA AQI. How it differs from Indonesia's ISPU
Where Pekanbaru stands: the most polluted cities in the world right now · the cleanest
Tree cover detail
Tree cover in Pekanbaru: 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 Pekanbaru lost?
Since 2001, the area within 10 km of Pekanbaru has lost about 5,150 hectares of forest (about 7,200 football pitches): 42% of the forest it had in 2000. Most of it (over 99%) was deforestation, forest cleared for good, mainly for farms, pasture and plantations.
2017: satellite photo from June 2017 of a 5 × 5 km area about 7 km west of the city center.
- Forest lost since 2001
- 5,150 haabout 7,200 football pitches
- Share of its forest
- 42%of what there was in 2000
- Cleared for good
- 5,150 hadeforestation: turned into farms, mines or towns
Forest loss is slowing down: about 112 hectares a year in 2021–2025, down from 232 hectares a year in 2016–2020. The worst year was 2017, when about 501 hectares of forest were lost.
Pekanbaru's full deforestation reportHectares of forest lost each year
Show the figures as a table
| Year | Cleared for good | Can grow back | Total |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2001 | 123 ha | under 1 ha | 123 ha |
| 2002 | 100 ha | under 1 ha | 100 ha |
| 2003 | 48 ha | under 1 ha | 49 ha |
| 2004 | 295 ha | under 1 ha | 295 ha |
| 2005 | 270 ha | under 1 ha | 270 ha |
| 2006 | 200 ha | under 1 ha | 200 ha |
| 2007 | 223 ha | under 1 ha | 223 ha |
| 2008 | 309 ha | under 1 ha | 309 ha |
| 2009 | 464 ha | under 1 ha | 464 ha |
| 2010 | 296 ha | under 1 ha | 296 ha |
| 2011 | 158 ha | under 1 ha | 158 ha |
| 2012 | 215 ha | under 1 ha | 215 ha |
| 2013 | 187 ha | under 1 ha | 187 ha |
| 2014 | 316 ha | under 1 ha | 316 ha |
| 2015 | 229 ha | under 1 ha | 229 ha |
| 2016 | 185 ha | under 1 ha | 185 ha |
| 2017 | 501 ha | under 1 ha | 501 ha |
| 2018 | 133 ha | under 1 ha | 133 ha |
| 2019 | 171 ha | under 1 ha | 171 ha |
| 2020 | 168 ha | under 1 ha | 168 ha |
| 2021 | 127 ha | under 1 ha | 127 ha |
| 2022 | 59 ha | under 1 ha | 59 ha |
| 2023 | 117 ha | under 1 ha | 117 ha |
| 2024 | 101 ha | under 1 ha | 101 ha |
| 2025 | 157 ha | under 1 ha | 157 ha |
What is causing deforestation around Pekanbaru?
- Farms, pasture and plantationscleared for good65% · 3,350 ha
- Towns and roadscleared for good35% · 1,800 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
- 14,400 ha
- Forest in 2020
- 12,800 ha
- Overall change
- −1,670 haless forest than in 2000
Comparing satellite maps from 2000 and 2020, the forest around Pekanbaru shrank from about 14,400 hectares to 12,800 hectares, a net loss of about 1,670 hectares (−12%). New forest grew on about 1,240 hectares, but 2,920 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 Pekanbaru
Same 2 km radius, same index — so they compare directly.
- Payakumbuh121.3 km
Indonesia
- Tree cover
- 38%
- Air quality
- 27
- Bukittinggi150.4 km
Indonesia
- Tree cover
- 39%
- Air quality
- 20
- Padang202.9 km
Indonesia
- Tree cover
- 5%
- Air quality
- 24
- Malacca206.8 km
Malaysia
- Tree cover
- 21%
- Air quality
- 58
- Muar211.1 km
Malaysia
- Tree cover
- 27%
- Air quality
- 27
Build your own
Compare Pekanbaru with anywhere
This place
Pekanbaru
Use this data
Put Pekanbaru's numbers on your site
Free to embed. Updates itself as the measurement refreshes.
Frequently asked
Questions about Pekanbaru
What is the air quality (AQI) in Pekanbaru right now?
The latest reading for Pekanbaru shows an AQI of 53 (Moderate), measured Nov 11, 23:00 local time by the Pekanbaru, Indonesia ground monitoring station, 6.2 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 Pekanbaru today?
At AQI 53 (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 Pekanbaru been like this week?
Over the last 7 days, the CAMS air-quality model put Pekanbaru's daily AQI at 51 on average, from 42 on Nov 11 to an hourly peak of 96 on Nov 8. No day averaged above 100, the level where the air turns unhealthy for sensitive groups.
Is Pekanbaru's AQI the same as Indonesia's ISPU?
No. Airleaf shows the US EPA Air Quality Index (AQI), the scale used by IQAir and most air-quality apps. Indonesia's official index is the ISPU (Indeks Standar Pencemar Udara), published by the environment ministry from its own monitoring stations. Its bands are 0–50 Baik (good), 51–100 Sedang (moderate), 101–200 Tidak Sehat (unhealthy), 201–300 Sangat Tidak Sehat (very unhealthy) and over 300 Berbahaya (hazardous). The two indexes use different breakpoints and averaging times, so the same air can score differently on each.
How much forest has the area around Pekanbaru lost since 2001?
Since 2001, the area within 10 km of Pekanbaru has lost about 5,150 hectares of forest (about 7,200 football pitches): 42% of the forest it had in 2000. Most of it (over 99%) was deforestation, forest cleared for good, mainly for farms, pasture and plantations. Forest loss is slowing down: about 112 hectares a year in 2021–2025, down from 232 hectares a year in 2016–2020. Comparing satellite maps from 2000 and 2020, the forest around Pekanbaru shrank from about 14,400 hectares to 12,800 hectares, a net loss of about 1,670 hectares (−12%). New forest grew on about 1,240 hectares, but 2,920 hectares were lost.
What is the tree count in Pekanbaru?
Pekanbaru 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 Pekanbaru need?
Pekanbaru 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 Pekanbaru's air quality and tree cover measured?
Air quality is measured by ground monitoring stations near Pekanbaru, 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 Pekanbaru; the tree count is an estimate derived from that cover.
See your own area
What does your neighborhood look like?
Pick any point and radius to get the same air-quality and tree-cover breakdown.
Check my address