North Korea · South Hamgyong · 4 cities
Air quality in South Hamgyong today The AQI right now, city by city
Right now, Hŭngnam has the cleanest air of the 4 cities we track in South Hamgyong (AQI 55, Moderate), and Hamhŭng the worst (AQI 58, Moderate). Sinp’o has the most tree cover, at 31.2% — #4 of 27 cities measured in North Korea.
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 56
Average right now
Moderate
- cities tracked
- 4
- average tree cover
- 30.4%
- North Korea: 18.5%
- worst air now: Hamhŭng
- 58
- cleanest air now: Hŭngnam
- 55
Lower is better on the US EPA index: 0–50 is Good, above 300 is Hazardous. Measured by Airleaf, refreshed hourly.
South Hamgyong · average AQI 56
Air quality today across South Hamgyong, city by city
| Hamhŭng | 58Moderate | 13.2% | 50.1K | #18 of 27 |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Hŭngnam | 55Moderate | 16.3% | 35.6K | #13 of 27 |
| Changam-ch’on | 56Moderate | 61.0% | — | — |
| Sinp’o | 55Moderate | 31.2% | — | #4 of 27 |
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 North Korea.
Deforestation · 2001–2025
How much forest has South Hamgyong lost?
Since 2001, South Hamgyong has lost about 58,000 hectares of forest (about 81,000 football pitches): 7% of the forest it had in 2000. Most of it was lost to logging, so much of it can grow back. About 4,990 hectares (8.6%) was deforestation: forest cleared for good for farms, mines or towns.
- Forest lost since 2001
- 58,000 haabout 81,000 football pitches
- Share of its forest
- 7%of what there was in 2000
- Cleared for good
- 4,990 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 | 286 ha | 1,710 ha | 2,000 ha |
| 2002 | 188 ha | 754 ha | 942 ha |
| 2003 | 175 ha | 2,310 ha | 2,480 ha |
| 2004 | 323 ha | 2,140 ha | 2,460 ha |
| 2005 | 497 ha | 5,250 ha | 5,750 ha |
| 2006 | 264 ha | 1,910 ha | 2,170 ha |
| 2007 | 87 ha | 1,150 ha | 1,240 ha |
| 2008 | 289 ha | 1,510 ha | 1,800 ha |
| 2009 | 253 ha | 1,510 ha | 1,760 ha |
| 2010 | 310 ha | 1,240 ha | 1,550 ha |
| 2011 | 169 ha | 976 ha | 1,150 ha |
| 2012 | 575 ha | 1,920 ha | 2,500 ha |
| 2013 | 62 ha | 610 ha | 672 ha |
| 2014 | 179 ha | 1,750 ha | 1,930 ha |
| 2015 | 82 ha | 5,430 ha | 5,510 ha |
| 2016 | 108 ha | 2,670 ha | 2,780 ha |
| 2017 | 71 ha | 1,440 ha | 1,510 ha |
| 2018 | 59 ha | 1,090 ha | 1,150 ha |
| 2019 | 211 ha | 6,140 ha | 6,350 ha |
| 2020 | 229 ha | 2,410 ha | 2,640 ha |
| 2021 | 203 ha | 2,260 ha | 2,460 ha |
| 2022 | 107 ha | 1,570 ha | 1,680 ha |
| 2023 | 109 ha | 1,840 ha | 1,950 ha |
| 2024 | 68 ha | 1,810 ha | 1,880 ha |
| 2025 | 84 ha | 1,650 ha | 1,740 ha |
Forest loss is slowing down: about 1,940 hectares a year in 2021–2025, down from 2,890 hectares a year in 2016–2020. The worst year was 2019, when about 6,350 hectares of forest were lost, mostly to wildfires.
What is causing deforestation in South Hamgyong?
- Loggingcan grow back55% · 32,200 ha
- Wildfirescan grow back34% · 19,900 ha
- Farms, pasture and plantationscleared for good8.1% · 4,680 ha
Also: mining and energy, storms, floods and other natural causes, towns and roads, 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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