Brazil sees record fall in Amazon deforestation as key election looms
The Amazon rainforest is a crucial buffer against climate change - but deforestation had expanded under former president Jair Bolsonaro.
Brazil reports a record drop in Amazon deforestation as a crucial election approaches
Brazil’s government says deforestation in the country’s Amazon and savanna areas has fallen to record lows ahead of a presidential election run-off in which the rainforest’s future is a central issue.
Left-wing President Luiz Inácio Lula da Silva, when he took office three years ago, promised to end deforestation in the Amazon by 2030. Deforestation had risen sharply under his right-wing predecessor, Jair Bolsonaro.
On 25 October, Lula will go head-to-head with Bolsonaro’s son Flavio in the run-off, with polls indicating a very close contest. Flavio is expected to carry on his father’s policies if he wins, although he has pledged to combat organised crime in the Amazon.
Satellite data indicates that in the year to July 2026, the deforestation rate in the Amazon dropped by 41.8% - the largest decline since records began in 1988. In the Cerrado, Brazil’s savanna region, the decrease was 23.8%.
The Amazon rainforest - the world’s largest - is a vital shield in the global effort to combat climate change, and 60% of it lies in Brazil.
Jair Bolsonaro encouraged mining on indigenous lands in the Amazon, while forest clearing surged as funding to protect the forest was reduced.
During Bolsonaro’s 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 figures.
Lula rolled back Jair Bolsonaro’s policies and saw deforestation fall to a six-year low in his first year in office. Lula also strengthened environmental monitoring and penalties for illegal logging.
"Our goal is to achieve zero illegal deforestation by 2030," he said in a post on X on Friday.
Tropical rainforests such as the Amazon are home to millions of species. When healthy, they absorb huge amounts of planet-warming carbon dioxide, helping keep the Earth cool.
But they have faced growing pressure from decades of intentional land clearing for agriculture and logging, as well as climate change, which scientists warn can create conditions for wildfires.
Brazil’s Environment Minister, Joao Paulo Capobianco, called the drop in Amazon deforestation "absolutely stratospheric".
Marcio Astrini, executive secretary at climate advocacy group Observatorio do Clima, said it was a "historic achievement" for Brazil.
He said it shows that "with political will, it is possible to curb deforestation and greenhouse gas emissions".