South Africa · Limpopo · 4 cities
Air quality in Limpopo today The AQI right now, city by city
Right now, Phalaborwa has the cleanest air of the 4 cities we track in Limpopo (AQI 42, Good), and Thohoyandou the worst (AQI 170, Unhealthy). Thohoyandou has the most tree cover, at 42.1% — #4 of 66 cities measured in South Africa.
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.
AQI 81
Average right now
Moderate
- cities tracked
- 4
- average tree cover
- 30.7%
- South Africa: 21.8%
- worst air now: Thohoyandou
- 170
- cleanest air now: Phalaborwa
- 42
Lower is better on the US EPA index: 0–50 is Good, above 300 is Hazardous. Measured by Airleaf, refreshed hourly.
Limpopo · average AQI 81
Air quality today across Limpopo, city by city
| Polokwane | 66Moderate | 22.2% | 24.5K | #30 of 66 |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Phalaborwa | 42Good | 36.5% | — | #7 of 66 |
| Thohoyandou | 170Unhealthy | 42.1% | — | #4 of 66 |
| Mokopane | 46Good | 21.9% | 25.4K | #31 of 66 |
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 South Africa.
Deforestation · 2001–2025
How much forest has Limpopo lost?
Since 2001, Limpopo has lost about 74,400 hectares of forest (about 100,000 football pitches): 19% of the forest it had in 2000. Most of it was lost to logging, so much of it can grow back. About 11,100 hectares (15%) was deforestation: forest cleared for good for farms, mines or towns.
- Forest lost since 2001
- 74,400 haabout 100,000 football pitches
- Share of its forest
- 19%of what there was in 2000
- Cleared for good
- 11,100 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 | 93 ha | 1,450 ha | 1,550 ha |
| 2002 | 77 ha | 1,050 ha | 1,130 ha |
| 2003 | 177 ha | 2,420 ha | 2,590 ha |
| 2004 | 198 ha | 1,680 ha | 1,880 ha |
| 2005 | 225 ha | 2,140 ha | 2,360 ha |
| 2006 | 290 ha | 4,260 ha | 4,550 ha |
| 2007 | 365 ha | 1,210 ha | 1,580 ha |
| 2008 | 248 ha | 1,620 ha | 1,860 ha |
| 2009 | 290 ha | 2,030 ha | 2,320 ha |
| 2010 | 455 ha | 2,960 ha | 3,410 ha |
| 2011 | 216 ha | 1,150 ha | 1,360 ha |
| 2012 | 416 ha | 3,270 ha | 3,680 ha |
| 2013 | 629 ha | 3,100 ha | 3,730 ha |
| 2014 | 640 ha | 3,330 ha | 3,970 ha |
| 2015 | 589 ha | 3,570 ha | 4,160 ha |
| 2016 | 741 ha | 3,910 ha | 4,650 ha |
| 2017 | 795 ha | 3,390 ha | 4,190 ha |
| 2018 | 688 ha | 3,040 ha | 3,730 ha |
| 2019 | 992 ha | 4,860 ha | 5,850 ha |
| 2020 | 842 ha | 2,780 ha | 3,620 ha |
| 2021 | 813 ha | 3,640 ha | 4,450 ha |
| 2022 | 484 ha | 2,190 ha | 2,680 ha |
| 2023 | 262 ha | 1,230 ha | 1,500 ha |
| 2024 | 309 ha | 1,490 ha | 1,800 ha |
| 2025 | 298 ha | 1,490 ha | 1,780 ha |
Forest loss is slowing down: about 2,440 hectares a year in 2021–2025, down from 4,410 hectares a year in 2016–2020. The worst year was 2019, when about 5,850 hectares of forest were lost.
What is causing deforestation in Limpopo?
- Loggingcan grow back82% · 61,200 ha
- Farms, pasture and plantationscleared for good14% · 10,600 ha
- Wildfirescan grow back2.2% · 1,610 ha
Also: towns and roads, shifting farming, 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.
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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