Deforestation in Brazil’s Amazon rainforest fell 41.8% in the year to July 2026, reaching its lowest level since satellite monitoring began in 1988, according to government data released on Friday.
Brazil’s National Institute for Space Research (INPE) estimated that 3,335 square kilometres of the Amazon rainforest were cleared between August 2025 and July 2026, compared with 5,731 square kilometres during the preceding 12-month period.
The latest figure represents a decline of around 71% from the peak recorded during the administration of former President Jair Bolsonaro, when annual forest losses exceeded 13,000 square kilometres in 2021.
Deforestation also declined in the Cerrado, Brazil’s vast tropical savannah and a major agricultural region. Forest clearing fell 23.8% to 5,517 square kilometres, the lowest level since monitoring began in 2001.
Brazil Strengthens Forest Protection Measures
The decline marks a significant environmental milestone for President Luiz Inácio Lula da Silva’s government, which has pledged to end deforestation by 2030.
Since taking office in 2023, the administration has reinstated anti-deforestation programmes, strengthened environmental enforcement and expanded financial incentives aimed at encouraging forest conservation.
The latest data indicate a substantial reversal of the increase in Amazon forest loss recorded during Bolsonaro’s presidency. The reduction also has implications for international climate efforts, as preventing forest destruction helps limit emissions from land-use change and preserves the Amazon’s role as one of the world’s largest carbon stores.
However, the figures come amid continuing challenges in protecting Brazil’s ecosystems. In the Cerrado, significant forest clearing occurs on private properties through legally authorised land-use changes, limiting the effectiveness of enforcement measures primarily directed at illegal deforestation.
Environmental Groups Welcome Historic Decline
Márcio Astrini, Executive Secretary of Brazil’s Climate Observatory, described the latest figures as a historic achievement.
“The figures released today mark a historic achievement. They position Brazil as a global leader in forest protection and show the world that, with political will, it is possible to curb deforestation and greenhouse gas emissions,” Astrini said.
Cristiane Mazzetti, Greenpeace Brazil’s Zero Deforestation Coordinator, attributed the decline to policy decisions, investment in environmental enforcement and the strengthening of government agencies.
“This historic milestone in the 2026 PRODES data is the direct result of political decisions, including investment in environmental enforcement, the continuation of effective public policies and the sustained strengthening of enforcement agencies such as Ibama and ICMBio,” Mazzetti said.
She cautioned that maintaining the downward trend would depend on future federal government policies and the continued commitment to environmental protection.
Environmental Policy Remains a Key Issue
The figures were released nine days before Brazil’s presidential runoff scheduled for October 25, placing the country’s environmental policy record in focus ahead of the vote.
Despite the Amazon rainforest’s global significance, deforestation has featured relatively little in a presidential campaign dominated by political polarisation.
INPE’s Amazon deforestation estimate remains preliminary and is expected to receive final confirmation next year. The Cerrado figure, by contrast, is consolidated.
The latest results underline the importance of sustained enforcement, effective conservation policies and long-term commitments to reducing forest loss as Brazil seeks to meet its 2030 deforestation target.
The writer of this article is Dr. Seema Javed, an environmentalist & a communications professional in the field of climate and energy
