Sentinel-2 cloudless 2023
Nepal's land cover in 2023
The Nepal-adapted U-Net applied to the 2023 Sentinel-2 cloudless annual mosaic (10 m) at 1038 stratified sample sites: forest 43.2%, farmland 9.5%, rangeland 27.4%, built-up 4.9%, bare land 14.0% and water 1.1%.
Nepal in 2023
Show the numbers
| Class | U-Net (%) | 95% interval | Change since 2022 | Reference map (%) |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Urban land | 4.9 | 4.3–5.5 | +1.9 | 3.7 |
| Agriculture land | 9.5 | 8.5–10.5 | +0.2 | 9.7 |
| Rangeland | 27.4 | 26.0–28.7 | +0.9 | 33.5 |
| Forest land | 43.2 | 41.3–45.1 | −2.0 | 41.4 |
| Water | 1.1 | 1.0–1.3 | −0.2 | 0.5 |
| Barren land | 14.0 | 12.5–15.5 | −0.8 | 11.1 |
Every district in 2023
| District | Province | Forest % | Farmland % | Rangeland % | Built-up % |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Achham | Sudur Paschim | 37.5 | 17.0 | 39.5 | 2.9 |
| Arghakhanchi | Lumbini | 56.6 | 2.0 | 39.2 | 2.1 |
| Baglung | Gandaki | 74.7 | 0.3 | 24.0 | 1.0 |
| Baitadi | Sudur Paschim | 49.1 | 2.4 | 45.5 | 2.9 |
| Bajhang | Sudur Paschim | 31.0 | 1.7 | 28.9 | 0.4 |
| Bajura | Sudur Paschim | 37.5 | 4.4 | 26.3 | 3.1 |
| Banke | Lumbini | 51.5 | 14.5 | 28.9 | 4.7 |
| Bara | Madhesh | 17.4 | 66.3 | 2.9 | 12.4 |
| Bardiya | Lumbini | 43.1 | 26.7 | 24.2 | 3.9 |
| Bhaktapur | Bagmati | 7.0 | 21.0 | 1.1 | 70.9 |
| Bhojpur | Koshi | 79.9 | 4.0 | 11.8 | 4.0 |
| Chitawan | Bagmati | 57.5 | 9.3 | 26.0 | 6.6 |
| Dadeldhura | Sudur Paschim | 84.7 | 0.0 | 14.6 | 0.5 |
| Dailekh | Karnali | 54.5 | 1.9 | 42.0 | 0.9 |
| Dang | Lumbini | 63.3 | 10.8 | 23.2 | 1.3 |
| Darchula | Sudur Paschim | 44.1 | 0.9 | 35.5 | 1.1 |
| Dhading | Bagmati | 58.6 | 1.4 | 30.2 | 3.1 |
| Dhankuta | Koshi | 63.9 | 1.0 | 22.9 | 12.2 |
| Dhanusa | Madhesh | 23.1 | 47.0 | 11.1 | 18.7 |
| Dolakha | Bagmati | 34.5 | 3.3 | 21.2 | 4.7 |
| Dolpa | Karnali | 12.0 | 1.2 | 46.0 | 0.7 |
| Doti | Sudur Paschim | 69.5 | 3.2 | 23.6 | 3.4 |
| Gorkha | Gandaki | 40.4 | 1.0 | 26.3 | 0.4 |
| Gulmi | Lumbini | 63.9 | 1.0 | 31.7 | 3.3 |
| Humla | Karnali | 18.4 | 0.3 | 25.9 | 0.9 |
| Ilam | Koshi | 70.4 | 3.6 | 21.1 | 4.5 |
| Jajarkot | Karnali | 56.1 | 5.3 | 34.4 | 3.1 |
| Jhapa | Koshi | 23.7 | 40.4 | 11.5 | 22.0 |
| Jumla | Karnali | 34.5 | 4.9 | 51.8 | 2.4 |
| Kailali | Sudur Paschim | 49.8 | 19.5 | 24.1 | 4.0 |
| Kalikot | Karnali | 44.1 | 4.6 | 50.5 | 0.4 |
| Kanchanpur | Sudur Paschim | 45.6 | 25.8 | 12.5 | 14.8 |
| Kapilbastu | Lumbini | 22.2 | 54.0 | 11.4 | 11.4 |
| Kaski | Gandaki | 63.8 | 3.0 | 9.5 | 8.4 |
| Kathmandu | Bagmati | 7.3 | 5.5 | 2.5 | 84.5 |
| Kavrepalanchok | Bagmati | 62.3 | 4.3 | 23.9 | 9.5 |
| Khotang | Koshi | 46.7 | 9.2 | 38.7 | 5.2 |
| Lalitpur | Bagmati | 49.9 | 7.0 | 6.2 | 35.7 |
| Lamjung | Gandaki | 70.2 | 0.9 | 11.3 | 0.5 |
| Mahottari | Madhesh | 46.2 | 38.0 | 2.6 | 10.2 |
| Makwanpur | Bagmati | 63.1 | 9.5 | 18.2 | 8.9 |
| Manang | Gandaki | 4.8 | 0.8 | 24.2 | 1.6 |
| Morang | Koshi | 33.3 | 39.0 | 5.5 | 21.8 |
| Mugu | Karnali | 31.2 | 1.3 | 37.5 | 0.1 |
| Mustang | Gandaki | 3.0 | 0.4 | 50.6 | 0.5 |
| Myagdi | Gandaki | 53.2 | 0.5 | 17.5 | 4.5 |
| Nawalparasi East | Gandaki | 67.3 | 0.4 | 29.5 | 1.6 |
| Nawalparasi West | Lumbini | 37.6 | 25.5 | 24.2 | 9.6 |
| Nuwakot | Bagmati | 39.1 | 17.7 | 20.7 | 22.1 |
| Okhaldhunga | Koshi | 55.0 | 6.1 | 33.8 | 4.5 |
| Palpa | Lumbini | 60.8 | 0.6 | 38.0 | 0.2 |
| Panchthar | Koshi | 64.4 | 1.8 | 31.2 | 2.4 |
| Parbat | Gandaki | 62.4 | 2.4 | 32.1 | 3.0 |
| Parsa | Madhesh | 39.8 | 38.5 | 11.3 | 8.6 |
| Pyuthan | Lumbini | 49.9 | 2.2 | 45.0 | 2.7 |
| Ramechhap | Bagmati | 50.6 | 2.6 | 38.1 | 3.7 |
| Rasuwa | Bagmati | 27.9 | 1.7 | 21.3 | 1.3 |
| Rautahat | Madhesh | 31.4 | 43.3 | 7.1 | 17.7 |
| Rolpa | Lumbini | 60.8 | 4.3 | 32.6 | 1.9 |
| Rukum East | Lumbini | 42.0 | 2.1 | 41.0 | 0.7 |
| Rukum West | Karnali | 50.8 | 0.9 | 43.8 | 1.7 |
| Rupandehi | Lumbini | 16.2 | 54.2 | 16.8 | 12.2 |
| Salyan | Karnali | 50.0 | 1.0 | 45.0 | 3.8 |
| Sankhuwasabha | Koshi | 56.6 | 2.1 | 18.7 | 3.6 |
| Saptari | Madhesh | 12.3 | 47.8 | 17.0 | 20.5 |
| Sarlahi | Madhesh | 2.3 | 75.6 | 4.2 | 12.3 |
| Sindhuli | Bagmati | 65.4 | 4.2 | 24.0 | 2.0 |
| Sindhupalchok | Bagmati | 59.5 | 3.3 | 22.6 | 3.7 |
| Siraha | Madhesh | 25.7 | 41.6 | 16.9 | 13.8 |
| Solukhumbu | Koshi | 39.2 | 0.8 | 25.0 | 1.1 |
| Sunsari | Koshi | 18.8 | 32.2 | 11.1 | 21.5 |
| Surkhet | Karnali | 58.2 | 4.6 | 31.8 | 5.3 |
| Syangja | Gandaki | 49.0 | 0.8 | 45.7 | 4.1 |
| Tanahu | Gandaki | 51.7 | 1.6 | 44.2 | 1.4 |
| Taplejung | Koshi | 43.2 | 0.5 | 12.6 | 0.8 |
| Terhathum | Koshi | 70.4 | 1.2 | 23.1 | 5.0 |
| Udayapur | Koshi | 54.5 | 8.6 | 27.7 | 4.0 |
District estimates rest on 8 or more sample sites each, so their intervals are wide; compare districts with care.
Other years: 2016 · 2018 · 2019 · 2020 · 2021 · 2022 · 2024 · 2025
Source: Nepal-adapted U-Net on EOX Sentinel-2 cloudless 2023 (contains modified Copernicus Sentinel data); reference: Impact Observatory/Esri 10 m land cover.