Deforestation in Zimbabwe

Deforestation is the purposeful clearing of forested land. Zimbabwe hosts some of the most important biodiversity hotspots in the world and is home to species of plants and animals. Forests currently cover around 45% of the country's total land area, but deforestation is an increasingly pressing issue, resulting in forests disappearing quickly. The rate of deforestation in the country accelerated to 327,000 ha per year (1.9%) during the years 2000 and 2010 and is also currently the highest in Southern Africa. In fact, the rate of deforestation in Zimbabwe is one of the highest globally – directly affecting ecosystems, biodiversity, and livelihoods. In 2010, Zimbabwe had 1.06Mha of tree cover, extending over 2.7% of its land area. In 2021, it lost 9.05kha of tree cover, equivalent to 3.82Mt of CO2 emissions.

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