Angola · Zaire · 2 cities
Air quality in Zaire today The AQI right now, city by city
Right now, Mbanza Kongo has the cleanest air of the 2 cities we track in Zaire (AQI 52, Moderate), and Soyo the worst (AQI 53, Moderate). Soyo has the most tree cover, at 23.9% — #5 of 35 cities measured in Angola.
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.
- cities tracked
- 2
- average tree cover
- 21.6%
- Angola: 11.5%
- worst air now: Soyo
- 53
- cleanest air now: Mbanza Kongo
- 52
Lower is better on the US EPA index: 0–50 is Good, above 300 is Hazardous. Measured by Airleaf, refreshed hourly.
Zaire
Air quality today across Zaire, city by city
| Soyo | 53Moderate | 23.9% | 15.9K | #5 of 35 |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Mbanza Kongo | 52Moderate | 19.2% | 33.9K | #6 of 35 |
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 Angola.
Deforestation · 2001–2025
How much forest has Zaire lost?
Since 2001, Zaire has lost about 94,300 hectares of forest (about 130,000 football pitches): 4.4% of the forest it had in 2000. Most of it was lost to shifting farming, so much of it can grow back. About 35,600 hectares (38%) was deforestation: forest cleared for good for farms, mines or towns.
- Forest lost since 2001
- 94,300 haabout 130,000 football pitches
- Share of its forest
- 4.4%of what there was in 2000
- Cleared for good
- 35,600 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 | 824 ha | 1,930 ha | 2,750 ha |
| 2002 | 826 ha | 925 ha | 1,750 ha |
| 2003 | 398 ha | 786 ha | 1,180 ha |
| 2004 | 1,330 ha | 2,230 ha | 3,560 ha |
| 2005 | 189 ha | 563 ha | 752 ha |
| 2006 | 1,240 ha | 1,510 ha | 2,760 ha |
| 2007 | 640 ha | 1,420 ha | 2,060 ha |
| 2008 | 623 ha | 1,270 ha | 1,900 ha |
| 2009 | 1,170 ha | 1,710 ha | 2,870 ha |
| 2010 | 2,920 ha | 2,290 ha | 5,200 ha |
| 2011 | 1,080 ha | 1,200 ha | 2,270 ha |
| 2012 | 1,390 ha | 1,880 ha | 3,270 ha |
| 2013 | 1,100 ha | 3,720 ha | 4,810 ha |
| 2014 | 5,380 ha | 6,150 ha | 11,500 ha |
| 2015 | 1,070 ha | 1,660 ha | 2,720 ha |
| 2016 | 1,710 ha | 3,620 ha | 5,330 ha |
| 2017 | 2,020 ha | 4,440 ha | 6,460 ha |
| 2018 | 878 ha | 1,970 ha | 2,850 ha |
| 2019 | 1,330 ha | 1,530 ha | 2,850 ha |
| 2020 | 796 ha | 1,260 ha | 2,050 ha |
| 2021 | 939 ha | 3,100 ha | 4,040 ha |
| 2022 | 2,340 ha | 2,910 ha | 5,250 ha |
| 2023 | 2,090 ha | 3,550 ha | 5,640 ha |
| 2024 | 1,600 ha | 2,890 ha | 4,490 ha |
| 2025 | 1,740 ha | 4,260 ha | 6,000 ha |
Forest loss is speeding up: about 5,080 hectares a year in 2021–2025, up from 3,910 hectares a year in 2016–2020. The worst year was 2014, when about 11,500 hectares of forest were lost.
What is causing deforestation in Zaire?
- Shifting farmingcan grow back55% · 51,900 ha
- Farms, pasture and plantationscleared for good36% · 33,700 ha
- Loggingcan grow back3% · 2,790 ha
Also: towns and roads, storms, floods and other natural causes, mining and energy, 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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