Brazil's government reports record drops in Amazon and savanna deforestation ahead of a presidential election run-off set for October 25, where rainforest protection is a central issue.
Satellite data shows deforestation in the Amazon fell 41.8% in the year through July 2026, the largest decline since records began in 1988, according to Brazil's government. Deforestation in the Cerrado, Brazil's savanna region, dropped 23.8%, the data showed.
Left-wing President Luiz Inácio Lula da Silva, who pledged to end Amazon deforestation by 2030 when he took office three years ago, will face Flavio Bolsonaro, son of former right-wing president Jair Bolsonaro. Polling suggests a close race. Flavio is expected to pursue his father's policies if elected, though he has pledged to combat organized crime in the Amazon.
During Bolsonaro's 2019-2022 presidency, Amazon forest loss jumped nearly 60% compared to the previous four years, according to official data cited by AFP. Bolsonaro promoted mining in indigenous lands and cut forest protection resources.
Lula reversed those policies. Deforestation dropped to a six-year low during his first year in office after he tightened environmental monitoring and penalties for illegal logging. "Our goal is to achieve zero illegal deforestation by 2030," Lula said in a post on X on Friday.
Brazil's Environment Minister Joao Paulo Capobianco called the decline in Amazon deforestation "absolutely stratospheric". Marcio Astrini, executive secretary at climate advocacy group Observatorio do Clima, described it as "a historic achievement" for Brazil. Astrini added it demonstrates that "with political will, it is possible to curb deforestation and greenhouse gas emissions".
The Amazon rainforest, the world's largest tropical forest, covers about 60% of its total area in Brazil. Scientists describe tropical rainforests as crucial buffers against climate change because they absorb large quantities of carbon dioxide. They also home millions of species, though they face pressure from land clearance for agriculture, logging and climate change conditions that can fuel wildfires.