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Vietnam · Lao Cai · 2 cities

Air quality in Lao Cai today The AQI right now, city by city

Right now, Lào Cai has the cleanest air of the 2 cities we track in Lao Cai (AQI 52, Moderate), and Yên Bái the worst (AQI 58, Moderate). Yên Bái has the most tree cover, at 65.8% — #6 of 112 cities measured in Vietnam.

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
61.0%
Vietnam: 35.8%
worst air now: Yên Bái
58
cleanest air now: Lào Cai
52

Lower is better on the US EPA index: 0–50 is Good, above 300 is Hazardous. Measured by Airleaf, refreshed hourly.

Lao Cai

Air quality today across Lao Cai, city by city

Current air quality and tree cover for cities in Lao Cai, Vietnam
Lào Cai52Moderate56.2%—#14 of 112
Yên Bái58Moderate65.8%—#6 of 112

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 Vietnam.

Deforestation · 2001–2025

How much forest has Lao Cai lost?

Since 2001, Lao Cai has lost about 30,700 hectares of forest (about 43,000 football pitches): 7.7% of the forest it had in 2000. Most of it (50%) was deforestation, forest cleared for good, mainly for farms, pasture and plantations.

Forest lost since 2001
30,700 haabout 43,000 football pitches
Share of its forest
7.7%of what there was in 2000
Cleared for good
15,500 hadeforestation: turned into farms, mines or towns
Forest lost each year in Lao Cai, 2001–2025

Hectares of forest lost each year

Forest lost each year in Lao Cai, 2001–2025. Use the left and right arrow keys to read each year.2.9K

Show the figures as a table
Forest lost each year in Lao Cai, 2001–2025
YearCleared for goodCan grow backTotal
2001175 ha187 ha362 ha
2002259 ha166 ha425 ha
2003573 ha432 ha1,010 ha
200476 ha67 ha143 ha
2005600 ha358 ha958 ha
2006832 ha551 ha1,380 ha
2007563 ha549 ha1,110 ha
2008796 ha561 ha1,360 ha
200939 ha71 ha109 ha
20101,600 ha1,290 ha2,900 ha
2011702 ha376 ha1,080 ha
2012270 ha221 ha491 ha
2013203 ha128 ha331 ha
20142,010 ha546 ha2,560 ha
2015403 ha543 ha946 ha
2016721 ha1,250 ha1,970 ha
2017552 ha999 ha1,550 ha
2018616 ha903 ha1,520 ha
2019504 ha618 ha1,120 ha
20201,050 ha1,520 ha2,570 ha
2021608 ha881 ha1,490 ha
2022655 ha970 ha1,630 ha
2023507 ha632 ha1,140 ha
2024602 ha674 ha1,280 ha
2025545 ha720 ha1,270 ha

Forest loss has stayed about the same: about 1,360 hectares a year in 2021–2025, against 1,750 hectares a year in 2016–2020. The worst year was 2010, when about 2,900 hectares of forest were lost.

What is causing deforestation in Lao Cai?

  • Farms, pasture and plantationscleared for good40% · 12,200 ha
  • Shifting farmingcan grow back26% · 7,850 ha
  • Loggingcan grow back20% · 6,120 ha

Also: mining and energy, storms, floods and other natural causes, towns and roads, 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

Other provinces in Vietnam

An GiangBac NinhCa MauCan Tho CityDa Nang CityDak LakDong NaiDong ThapGia LaiHà Tĩnh ProvinceHai PhongHanoiHo Chi Minh City (HCMC)Hưng Yên ProvinceKhanh HoaLam DongLạng Sơn ProvinceNghệ An ProvinceNinh BinhPhu ThoQuang NgaiQuảng NinhQuang TriSơn La ProvinceTay NinhThai NguyenThanh Hóa ProvinceThừa Thiên Huế ProvinceTuyen QuangVinh Long

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Cleaner air at home in Lao Cai

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