China · Tibet · 4 cities
Air quality in Tibet today The AQI right now, city by city
Right now, Lhoka has the cleanest air of the 4 cities we track in Tibet (AQI 8, Good), and Doilungdêqên the worst (AQI 33, Good). Nyingchi has the most tree cover, at 26.0% — #212 of 639 cities measured in China.
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 21
Average right now
Good
- cities tracked
- 4
- average tree cover
- 12.1%
- China: 22.9%
- worst air now: Doilungdêqên
- 33
- cleanest air now: Lhoka
- 8
Lower is better on the US EPA index: 0–50 is Good, above 300 is Hazardous. Measured by Airleaf, refreshed hourly.
Tibet · average AQI 21
Air quality today across Tibet, city by city
| Lhasa | 33Good | 14.2% | 45.3K | #447 of 639 |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Lhoka | 8Good | 6.0% | 75.3K | #623 of 639 |
| Nyingchi | 9Good | 26.0% | 12.2K | #212 of 639 |
| Doilungdêqên | 33Good | 2.3% | 84.3K | #638 of 639 |
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 China.
Deforestation · 2001–2025
How much forest has Tibet lost?
Since 2001, Tibet has lost about 38,600 hectares of forest (about 54,000 football pitches): 1.4% of the forest it had in 2000. The biggest cause was logging (36%), after which forest can grow back. About 4,750 hectares (12%) was deforestation: forest cleared for good for farms, mines or towns.
- Forest lost since 2001
- 38,600 haabout 54,000 football pitches
- Share of its forest
- 1.4%of what there was in 2000
- Cleared for good
- 4,750 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 | 1,650 ha | 1,740 ha |
| 2002 | 72 ha | 1,410 ha | 1,480 ha |
| 2003 | 77 ha | 2,170 ha | 2,240 ha |
| 2004 | 131 ha | 1,630 ha | 1,760 ha |
| 2005 | 89 ha | 1,930 ha | 2,020 ha |
| 2006 | 105 ha | 1,690 ha | 1,790 ha |
| 2007 | 158 ha | 3,520 ha | 3,680 ha |
| 2008 | 120 ha | 1,780 ha | 1,900 ha |
| 2009 | 148 ha | 1,790 ha | 1,940 ha |
| 2010 | 147 ha | 994 ha | 1,140 ha |
| 2011 | 79 ha | 650 ha | 729 ha |
| 2012 | 85 ha | 1,170 ha | 1,260 ha |
| 2013 | 68 ha | 404 ha | 472 ha |
| 2014 | 59 ha | 253 ha | 311 ha |
| 2015 | 27 ha | 127 ha | 154 ha |
| 2016 | 250 ha | 915 ha | 1,170 ha |
| 2017 | 200 ha | 2,370 ha | 2,570 ha |
| 2018 | 179 ha | 1,410 ha | 1,590 ha |
| 2019 | 182 ha | 1,120 ha | 1,300 ha |
| 2020 | 261 ha | 958 ha | 1,220 ha |
| 2021 | 387 ha | 1,410 ha | 1,800 ha |
| 2022 | 480 ha | 723 ha | 1,200 ha |
| 2023 | 502 ha | 572 ha | 1,070 ha |
| 2024 | 456 ha | 852 ha | 1,310 ha |
| 2025 | 395 ha | 2,330 ha | 2,720 ha |
Forest loss has stayed about the same: about 1,620 hectares a year in 2021–2025, against 1,570 hectares a year in 2016–2020. The worst year was 2007, when about 3,680 hectares of forest were lost.
What is causing deforestation in Tibet?
- Loggingcan grow back36% · 13,800 ha
- Storms, floods and other natural causescan grow back26% · 10,200 ha
- Wildfirescan grow back16% · 6,280 ha
Also: towns and roads, mining and energy, farms, pasture and plantations, shifting farming, 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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