Colombia · Huila Department · 2 cities
Air quality in Huila Department today The AQI right now, city by city
Right now, Pitalito has the cleanest air of the 2 cities we track in Huila Department (AQI 42, Good), and Neiva the worst (AQI 55, Moderate). Neiva has the most tree cover, at 28.6% — #17 of 48 cities measured in Colombia.
Every city is measured the same way, over the same 2 km around its center: the air quality right now, from ground stations where there are any, and its tree cover.
- cities tracked
- 2
- average tree cover
- 23.6%
- Colombia: 24.8%
- worst air now: Neiva
- 55
- cleanest air now: Pitalito
- 42
Lower is better on the US EPA index: 0–50 is Good, above 300 is Hazardous. Measured by Airleaf, refreshed hourly.
Huila Department
Air quality today across Huila Department, city by city
| Neiva | 55Moderate | 28.6% | 4.4K | #17 of 48 |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Pitalito | 42Good | 18.6% | 35.8K | #34 of 48 |
Air quality is the US AQI from ground monitoring stations via OpenAQ where available, otherwise the Open-Meteo / CAMS model, refreshed hourly. Tree cover is measured within 2 km of each city center from Sentinel-2 imagery; the rank compares every city measured in Colombia.
Deforestation · 2001–2025
How much forest has Huila Department lost?
Since 2001, Huila Department has lost about 80,800 hectares of forest (about 110,000 football pitches): 6.1% of the forest it had in 2000. Most of it (98%) was deforestation, forest cleared for good, mainly for farms, pasture and plantations.
- Forest lost since 2001
- 80,800 haabout 110,000 football pitches
- Share of its forest
- 6.1%of what there was in 2000
- Cleared for good
- 79,000 hadeforestation: turned into farms, mines or towns
Hectares of forest lost each year
Show the figures as a table
| Year | Cleared for good | Can grow back | Total |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2001 | 2,920 ha | 62 ha | 2,980 ha |
| 2002 | 3,910 ha | 61 ha | 3,970 ha |
| 2003 | 1,280 ha | 28 ha | 1,310 ha |
| 2004 | 2,100 ha | 61 ha | 2,170 ha |
| 2005 | 3,750 ha | 71 ha | 3,820 ha |
| 2006 | 3,260 ha | 54 ha | 3,320 ha |
| 2007 | 5,090 ha | 84 ha | 5,180 ha |
| 2008 | 3,590 ha | 158 ha | 3,750 ha |
| 2009 | 5,330 ha | 134 ha | 5,460 ha |
| 2010 | 3,570 ha | 94 ha | 3,660 ha |
| 2011 | 3,190 ha | 103 ha | 3,300 ha |
| 2012 | 6,060 ha | 151 ha | 6,220 ha |
| 2013 | 954 ha | 46 ha | 1,000 ha |
| 2014 | 1,730 ha | 46 ha | 1,770 ha |
| 2015 | 951 ha | 23 ha | 974 ha |
| 2016 | 2,670 ha | 104 ha | 2,770 ha |
| 2017 | 5,950 ha | 61 ha | 6,010 ha |
| 2018 | 3,450 ha | 71 ha | 3,520 ha |
| 2019 | 3,550 ha | 54 ha | 3,600 ha |
| 2020 | 2,410 ha | 38 ha | 2,450 ha |
| 2021 | 1,450 ha | 23 ha | 1,470 ha |
| 2022 | 2,550 ha | 55 ha | 2,610 ha |
| 2023 | 2,830 ha | 53 ha | 2,880 ha |
| 2024 | 4,270 ha | 96 ha | 4,370 ha |
| 2025 | 2,160 ha | 69 ha | 2,230 ha |
Forest loss is slowing down: about 2,710 hectares a year in 2021–2025, down from 3,670 hectares a year in 2016–2020. The worst year was 2012, when about 6,220 hectares of forest were lost.
What is causing deforestation in Huila Department?
- Farms, pasture and plantationscleared for good97% · 78,500 ha
Also: shifting farming, storms, floods and other natural causes, towns and roads, mining and energy, logging, wildfires, unknown causes.
Causes for 2025 are estimates, based on what caused forest loss in the same places up to 2024.
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. How it's measured
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