Atlai | Country Profile | Democratic Republic of the Congo

Tree Cover in Democratic Republic of the Congo

From 2001 to 2022, Democratic Republic of the Congo lost 18365kha of tree cover, equivalent to a 3.0% net decrease in tree cover since 2001.

Annual Tree Cover Loss by Dominant Driver in Democratic Republic of the Congo

In Democratic Republic of the Congo from 2001 to 2022, 18365kha of tree cover loss occurred in areas where the dominant drivers of loss resulted in deforestation.

Location of Tree Cover Loss in Democratic Republic of the Congo

In Democratic Republic of the Congo, the top 5 regions were responsible for 35.1% of all tree cover loss between 2001 and 2022. Tshuapa had the most tree cover loss at 1714.7kha compared to an average of 706.4 kha.

Tshuapa1714.7kha

Sud-Kivu1246.7kha

Mongala1236.0kha

Nord-Kivu1148.0kha

Kinshasa1100.9kha

Components of net change in tree cover in Democratic Republic of the Congo

From 2000 to 2020, Democratic Republic of the Congo experienced a net change of -6001.9 kha (-3.55%) in tree cover.

The loss total is different from annual tree cover loss, as this data was created using a different method and forest definition. For gross or annual loss information, please see the tree cover loss widget.
Disturbance represents areas that experienced both loss and gain between 2000 and 2020

Tree Cover Gain in Democratic Republic of the Congo Compared to Other Areas

From 2000 to 2020, Democratic Republic of the Congo gained 1591.2 kha of tree cover equal to 1.22% of the global total.

Russia37.2Mha

Canada17.0Mha

United States14.0Mha

Brazil8.1Mha

China6.7Mha

Weekly Fire Alerts In Democratic Republic of the Congo

In Democratic Republic of the Congo the peak fire season typically occurs in July. There were 107570 VIIRS fire alerts reported between 8 Jan 2023 and 31 Dec 2023 considering high confidence alerts only.

Cumulative Fire Alerts In Democratic Republic of the Congo Compared to Other Areas

In Democratic Republic of the Congo there have been 107,570 VIIRS fire alerts reported so far in 2023 considering high confidence alerts only. This total is high compared to the total for previous years going back to 2023. The most fires recorded in a year was 2016, with 124,382.

Historical Fire Alerts In Democratic Republic of the Congo Compared to Other Areas

Between 8 Jan 2023 and 31 Dec 2023 Democratic Republic of the Congo experienced a total of 1,314,525 VIIRS fire alerts (high confidence).

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DRC Sees Escalating Tree Cover Loss; Shifting Agriculture Major Culprit

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