Poland · Lower Silesia · 3 cities
Air quality in Lower Silesia today The AQI right now, city by city
Right now, Wałbrzych has the cleanest air of the 3 cities we track in Lower Silesia (AQI 55, Moderate), and Wrocław the worst (AQI 144, Unhealthy for sensitive groups). Wałbrzych has the most tree cover, at 62.3% — #1 of 39 cities measured in Poland.
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 88
Average right now
Moderate
- cities tracked
- 3
- average tree cover
- 43.5%
- Poland: 37.6%
- worst air now: Wrocław
- 144
- cleanest air now: Wałbrzych
- 55
Lower is better on the US EPA index: 0–50 is Good, above 300 is Hazardous. Measured by Airleaf, refreshed hourly.
Lower Silesia · average AQI 88
Air quality today across Lower Silesia, city by city
| Wrocław | 144Unhealthy for sensitive groups | 29.8% | 16.1K | #31 of 39 |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Wałbrzych | 55Moderate | 62.3% | — | #1 of 39 |
| Legnica | 64Moderate | 38.3% | — | #19 of 39 |
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 Poland.
Deforestation · 2001–2025
How much forest has Lower Silesia lost?
Since 2001, Lower Silesia has lost about 105,000 hectares of forest (about 150,000 football pitches): 15% of the forest it had in 2000. Most of it was lost to logging, so much of it can grow back. About 3,470 hectares (3.3%) was deforestation: forest cleared for good for farms, mines or towns.
- Forest lost since 2001
- 105,000 haabout 150,000 football pitches
- Share of its forest
- 15%of what there was in 2000
- Cleared for good
- 3,470 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 | 63 ha | 1,180 ha | 1,240 ha |
| 2002 | 50 ha | 1,810 ha | 1,860 ha |
| 2003 | 29 ha | 1,040 ha | 1,070 ha |
| 2004 | 152 ha | 1,950 ha | 2,100 ha |
| 2005 | 195 ha | 5,820 ha | 6,010 ha |
| 2006 | 71 ha | 2,030 ha | 2,100 ha |
| 2007 | 251 ha | 4,510 ha | 4,770 ha |
| 2008 | 133 ha | 2,810 ha | 2,940 ha |
| 2009 | 132 ha | 2,460 ha | 2,590 ha |
| 2010 | 122 ha | 3,930 ha | 4,050 ha |
| 2011 | 174 ha | 4,860 ha | 5,030 ha |
| 2012 | 99 ha | 3,240 ha | 3,340 ha |
| 2013 | 61 ha | 1,980 ha | 2,050 ha |
| 2014 | 103 ha | 3,780 ha | 3,890 ha |
| 2015 | 56 ha | 2,180 ha | 2,230 ha |
| 2016 | 329 ha | 5,630 ha | 5,960 ha |
| 2017 | 101 ha | 5,330 ha | 5,430 ha |
| 2018 | 346 ha | 4,630 ha | 4,970 ha |
| 2019 | 326 ha | 7,490 ha | 7,820 ha |
| 2020 | 129 ha | 7,170 ha | 7,300 ha |
| 2021 | 132 ha | 5,750 ha | 5,880 ha |
| 2022 | 119 ha | 4,610 ha | 4,730 ha |
| 2023 | 112 ha | 5,840 ha | 5,950 ha |
| 2024 | 87 ha | 5,750 ha | 5,830 ha |
| 2025 | 100 ha | 6,170 ha | 6,270 ha |
Forest loss has stayed about the same: about 5,730 hectares a year in 2021–2025, against 6,300 hectares a year in 2016–2020. The worst year was 2019, when about 7,820 hectares of forest were lost.
What is causing deforestation in Lower Silesia?
- Loggingcan grow back96% · 101,000 ha
- Mining and energycleared for good1.7% · 1,760 ha
- Towns and roadscleared for good1.2% · 1,250 ha
Also: farms, pasture and plantations, 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.
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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