Atlai | Country Profile

Tree Cover in Malawi

From 2001 to 2022, Malawi lost 224kha of tree cover, equivalent to a 14.6% net decrease in tree cover since 2001.

Annual Tree Cover Loss by Dominant Driver in Malawi

In Malawi from 2001 to 2022, 224kha of tree cover loss occurred in areas where the dominant drivers of loss resulted in deforestation.

Location of Tree Cover Loss in Malawi

In Malawi, the top 5 regions were responsible for 65.9% of all tree cover loss between 2001 and 2022. Nkhata Bay had the most tree cover loss at 83.2kha compared to an average of 8.0 kha.

Nkhata Bay83.2kha

Mzimba32.4kha

Rumphi11.5kha

Mangochi10.4kha

Lilongwe10.2kha

Components of net change in tree cover in Malawi

From 2000 to 2020, Malawi experienced a net change of -222.3 kha (-7.88%) 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 Malawi Compared to Other Areas

From 2000 to 2020, Malawi gained 41.6 kha of tree cover equal to 0.03% of the global total.

Russia37.2Mha

Canada17.0Mha

United States14.0Mha

Brazil8.1Mha

China6.7Mha

Weekly Fire Alerts In Malawi

In Malawi the peak fire season typically occurs in September. There were 2340 VIIRS fire alerts reported between 28 May 2023 and 26 Nov 2023 considering high confidence alerts only.

Cumulative Fire Alerts In Malawi Compared to Other Areas

In Malawi there have been 2,340 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 2013, with 4,376.

Historical Fire Alerts In Malawi Compared to Other Areas

Between 28 May 2023 and 26 Nov 2023 Malawi experienced a total of 37,071 VIIRS fire alerts (high confidence).

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Malawi Grapples with Escalating Tree Cover Loss and Recent Fire Incident

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