Deforestation in Brazil’s Amazon and Cerrado savanna at lowest rate ever recorded

As Brazilians cast their votes in a runoff election, a new report from Brazil's National Institute for Space Research (INPE) reveals that the country has achieved its lowest deforestation rates in both the Amazon rainforest and Cerrado savanna since satellite monitoring began in 1988. Incumbent President Luiz Inácio Lula da Silva is credited for this environmental milestone.

Deforestation in the Amazon dropped to 3,335 square kilometers (1,288 square miles) between August 2025 and July 2026, marking a 42% decrease from the previous year and the lowest rate ever recorded. This is a stark contrast to the peak of deforestation under far-right President Jair Bolsonaro in 2021, when nearly 13,200 km2 (5,097 mi2) of forest was cleared. The 2025-26 figure represents less than one-fifth of the amount cleared during Bolsonaro's tenure.

Climate scientist Carlos Nobre of the University of São Paulo expressed optimism about the findings, stating that this represents the lowest deforestation in the Amazon since the military dictatorship heavily deforested the region in the mid-1970s. Brazil was governed by a military dictatorship from 1964 to 1985, and there were no annual deforestation records kept during that period.

The Cerrado, Brazil's other main agricultural savanna, also recorded its lowest deforestation level in the same period since monitoring began in 2001. This indicates a positive trend in environmental conservation efforts across Brazil's crucial biomes.