Amazon deforestation in Brazil falls 41.8%, biggest drop since 1988

Deforestation in Brazil's Amazon and savanna regions has fallen to record lows, the country's government has said, ahead of a presidential election run-off in which the rainforest's future is a central issue.

Satellite data shows the Amazon deforestation rate dropped by 41.8% in the year up to July 2026 — the biggest fall since records began in 1988. In the Cerrado, Brazil's savanna region, the rate fell by 23.8%.

The figures come as left-wing President Luiz Inácio Lula da Silva prepares to face Flavio Bolsonaro, son of his right-wing predecessor Jair Bolsonaro, in a run-off on 25 October. Polls suggest a neck-and-neck race. Flavio is expected to continue his father's policies if he wins, although he has pledged to fight organised crime in the Amazon.

Lula pledged to end deforestation in the Amazon by 2030 when he took office three years ago. "Our goal is to achieve zero illegal deforestation by 2030," he wrote on X on Friday.

What happened under Bolsonaro?

Deforestation surged under Jair Bolsonaro, who promoted mining in indigenous lands in the Amazon while resources to protect the forest were cut. During his presidency from 2019 to 2022, the Amazon lost nearly 60% more forest land than in the previous four years, AFP news agency reported, citing official data.

Lula reversed those policies, tightening environmental monitoring and penalties for illegal logging. Deforestation rates fell to a six-year low during his first year in office.

Why the Amazon matters

The Amazon is the world's largest rainforest and a crucial buffer in the global fight against climate change, with 60% of it located in Brazil. Tropical rainforests are home to millions of species and, in a healthy state, absorb vast quantities of planet-warming carbon dioxide, helping to keep the Earth cool.

But the forests have come under growing pressure from decades of deliberate land clearance for agriculture and logging, as well as climate change, which scientists warn can create conditions for wildfires.

Reaction to the figures

Brazil's Environment Minister, Joao Paulo Capobianco, described the decline in Amazon deforestation as "absolutely stratospheric".

Marcio Astrini, executive secretary of climate advocacy group Observatorio do Clima, called it a "historic achievement" for Brazil. It shows that "with political will, it is possible to curb deforestation and greenhouse gas emissions", he said.

Source: BBC Science.