Amazon Deforestation Falls by Record 41.8% Ahead of Brazil Election

Deforestation in Brazil’s Amazon rainforest fell by a record 41.8% in the year to July 2026, while forest loss in the Cerrado savanna declined by 23.8%, according to satellite data released ahead of a presidential election run-off.

The future of the Amazon is expected to be a key issue in the election. Left-wing President Luiz Inacio Lula da Silva is scheduled to face Flavio, the son of former right-wing President Jair Bolsonaro, in a run-off on October 25th. Opinion polls predict a close race.

Flavio has vowed to fight organized crime in the Amazon, but is expected to continue his father’s policies if he wins.

Amazon deforestation reaches record low

The 41.8% decline in Amazon deforestation is the largest recorded since monitoring began in 1988. Deforestation in Brazil’s Cerrado savanna also fell by 23.8% during the same period.

The Amazon rainforest is an important buffer in the global fight against climate change, and 60% of the forest is located in Brazil.

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Lula reverses Bolsonaro-era environmental policies

Jair Bolsonaro promoted mining on Indigenous lands in the Amazon, while resources to protect forests were cut and deforestation surged.

Nearly 60% more forest was lost in the Amazon during Bolsonaro’s term from 2019 to 2022 than in the previous four years, Agence France-Presse reported, citing official data.

Lula reversed Bolsonaro’s policies after taking office three years ago and promised to end deforestation in the Amazon by 2030. During his first year in office, deforestation fell to a six-year low as his government strengthened environmental monitoring and penalties for illegal logging.

“Our goal is to eliminate illegal deforestation by 2030,” Lula said in a post to X on Friday.

Why the Amazon rainforest matters

Tropical rainforests such as the Amazon are home to millions of species. When healthy, they absorb large amounts of carbon dioxide, a gas that causes global warming, and help keep the Earth cool.

However, decades of deliberate land clearing for agriculture and logging, combined with growing pressure from climate change, could create conditions for wildfires, scientists warn.

Officials call decline in forest loss historic

Brazil’s Environment Minister Joao Paulo Capobianco described the decline in Amazon deforestation as “absolutely stratospheric.”

Marcio Astorini, executive director of the climate change advocacy group Observatorio do Clima, called the result a “historic achievement” for Brazil.

“If there is political will, it is possible to curb deforestation and greenhouse gas emissions,” Astorini said.