When a forest is cut down, the carbon stored in its trees and soil is released, adding greenhouse gases and speeding up global warming. A warmer planet brings more intense droughts and fires, which in turn damage more forests. Growing cities replace soil and vegetation with surfaces that trap heat (urban heat islands), demand water and energy, and often spread over wetlands that used to soften floods. The three pressures add up: less habitat for wildlife, less available water and communities more exposed to extreme events.
Observed means satellite imagery and satellite-derived maps, such as forest loss or built-up area. Reanalysis means climate reconstructions that combine observations with models (ERA5, MERRA-2). Country means official national statistics (FAO / World Bank). This site does not show future projections or made-up changes: if a year has no data, the closest real image is shown and labeled as such.