Deforestation in Brazil’s Amazon hits nearly 4-decade low

Brazil's Amazon rainforest saw its lowest deforestation rate in nearly four decades, falling to 3,335 square kilometers cleared between August 2025 and July 2026, according to official statistics released Friday. This represents a 42% decline compared to the previous year and the lowest level since records began in 1988, said environment minister Joao Paulo Capobianco.

The figures are seen as a significant victory for incumbent leftist president Luiz Inacio Lula da Silva as he prepares for a presidential runoff against conservative senator Flavio Bolsonaro, the son of former president Jair Bolsonaro.

Lula had pledged during his return to office to end unlawful forest clearance by ranchers and illegal miners, which had surged under his predecessor. He reiterated his goal of achieving zero illegal deforestation by 2030 after the release of the data. Brazil is home to about 60% of the world's largest rainforest, which plays a vital role in absorbing greenhouse gases linked to global warming.

Deforestation in the Amazon has been steadily decreasing since 2022, with a 71.2% cumulative drop over the past four years since Lula's election. The reduction is attributed to enhanced monitoring and stricter penalties for illegal logging. This marks a sharp contrast to the period under Jair Bolsonaro from 2019 to 2022, when deforestation reached record highs.

The Amazon rainforest witnessed a similar decline in deforestation in the vast Cerrado savanna south of the Amazon, where it fell to its lowest levels since records began in 2001. From August 2025 to July 2026, 5,517 square kilometers of native vegetation were destroyed, a 24% reduction compared to the previous year. Marcio Astrini, executive secretary of the Climate Observatory, praised the figures as a historic victory, highlighting Brazil's leadership in protecting forests with political will.