Turkey · Mersin · 3 cities
Air quality in Mersin today The AQI right now, city by city
Right now, Silifke has the cleanest air of the 3 cities we track in Mersin (AQI 60, Moderate), and Tarsus the worst (AQI 93, Moderate). Silifke has the most tree cover, at 23.5% — #14 of 95 cities measured in Turkey.
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 77
Average right now
Moderate
- cities tracked
- 3
- average tree cover
- 12.2%
- Turkey: 14.2%
- worst air now: Tarsus
- 93
- cleanest air now: Silifke
- 60
Lower is better on the US EPA index: 0–50 is Good, above 300 is Hazardous. Measured by Airleaf, refreshed hourly.
Mersin · average AQI 77
Air quality today across Mersin, city by city
| Mersin | 77Moderate | 2.9% | 75.2K | #93 of 95 |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Tarsus | 93Moderate | 10.1% | 62.5K | #46 of 95 |
| Silifke | 60Moderate | 23.5% | 20.1K | #14 of 95 |
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 Turkey.
Deforestation · 2001–2025
How much forest has Mersin lost?
Since 2001, Mersin has lost about 24,900 hectares of forest (about 35,000 football pitches): 26% of the forest it had in 2000. Most of it was lost to logging, so much of it can grow back. About 1,270 hectares (5.1%) was deforestation: forest cleared for good for farms, mines or towns.
- Forest lost since 2001
- 24,900 haabout 35,000 football pitches
- Share of its forest
- 26%of what there was in 2000
- Cleared for good
- 1,270 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 | 48 ha | 527 ha | 575 ha |
| 2002 | 27 ha | 459 ha | 486 ha |
| 2003 | 13 ha | 578 ha | 591 ha |
| 2004 | 41 ha | 1,130 ha | 1,170 ha |
| 2005 | 23 ha | 605 ha | 628 ha |
| 2006 | 37 ha | 783 ha | 820 ha |
| 2007 | 65 ha | 1,270 ha | 1,330 ha |
| 2008 | 66 ha | 2,500 ha | 2,560 ha |
| 2009 | 54 ha | 855 ha | 909 ha |
| 2010 | 73 ha | 622 ha | 695 ha |
| 2011 | 174 ha | 858 ha | 1,030 ha |
| 2012 | 84 ha | 834 ha | 918 ha |
| 2013 | 21 ha | 400 ha | 420 ha |
| 2014 | 19 ha | 458 ha | 477 ha |
| 2015 | 32 ha | 441 ha | 473 ha |
| 2016 | 27 ha | 550 ha | 577 ha |
| 2017 | 49 ha | 936 ha | 985 ha |
| 2018 | 57 ha | 1,150 ha | 1,200 ha |
| 2019 | 34 ha | 1,080 ha | 1,110 ha |
| 2020 | 39 ha | 1,250 ha | 1,290 ha |
| 2021 | 39 ha | 1,560 ha | 1,590 ha |
| 2022 | 52 ha | 1,660 ha | 1,710 ha |
| 2023 | 45 ha | 1,300 ha | 1,350 ha |
| 2024 | 25 ha | 499 ha | 524 ha |
| 2025 | 126 ha | 1,300 ha | 1,430 ha |
Forest loss is speeding up: about 1,320 hectares a year in 2021–2025, up from 1,030 hectares a year in 2016–2020. The worst year was 2008, when about 2,560 hectares of forest were lost, mostly to wildfires.
What is causing deforestation in Mersin?
- Loggingcan grow back61% · 15,100 ha
- Wildfirescan grow back33% · 8,190 ha
- Farms, pasture and plantationscleared for good2.3% · 577 ha
Also: mining and energy, towns and roads, 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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