{
  "id": 330843,
  "title": "Amazon deforestation alerts fall to lowest level since 2013, Brazilian data show",
  "url": "https://urgent.news/2026/08/09/amazon-deforestation-alerts-fall-to-lowest-level-since-2013-brazilian",
  "topic": "science",
  "section": "Science",
  "published": "2026-08-09T00:08:49.000Z",
  "source": {
    "name": "Mongabay",
    "slug": "mongabay",
    "url": "https://news.mongabay.com/2026/08/amazon-deforestation-alerts-fall-to-lowest-level-since-2013-brazilian-data-show/"
  },
  "original_language": "en",
  "account": "Brazilian satellite data from the National Institute for Space Research (INPE) reveals a sharp decline in Amazon deforestation, falling to its lowest level in 13 years, according to a recent report. Between August 2025 and July 2026, the DETER alert system detected 2,874 square kilometers (1,110 square miles) of deforestation, marking a 36% decrease from the previous 12-month period and a 55.6% drop from the average of the past decade. This represents the lowest level since the current DETER system was introduced in 2015, with the last reduction recorded in 2012/13, at 2,766 square kilometers. The DETER system functions as a rapid-response mechanism for enforcement agencies, leveraging satellite imagery to swiftly identify new forest clearing, allowing authorities to investigate and intervene effectively. While the system differs from INPE’s PRODES, which offers a higher-resolution annual monitoring system and serves as the basis for Brazil’s official deforestation rate, the latest DETER figures suggest a further reduction in clearing activities. If PRODES also indicates a similar decline, Brazil might record its lowest official Amazon deforestation.",
  "summary": "Deforestation in the Brazilian Amazon has fallen to its lowest level in 13 years, according to new satellite data from Brazil’s National Institute for Space Research (INPE), continuing a decline that began after President Luiz Inácio Lula da Silva returned to office in 2023. INPE’s DETER alert system detected 2,874 square kilometers (1,110 square miles) […]",
  "key_points": [
    "Amazon deforestation alerts drop to lowest level since 2015.",
    "DETER system detected 2,874 square kilometers of deforestation in 2025-2026.",
    "36% decrease from previous year, 55.6% drop from decade average."
  ],
  "editors_take": "The sharp decline in Amazon deforestation alerts suggests a significant reduction in forest clearing activities, potentially leading to Brazil's lowest official deforestation rate if confirmed by the annual PRODES monitoring system.",
  "illustration": null,
  "coverage": {
    "outlets": 1,
    "also_reported_by": []
  },
  "ai_generated": true,
  "disclaimer": "Summaries, key points and the editor’s take are written by software from other outlets’ reporting and may contain errors — always check the linked original."
}