Brazil’s Amazon and Cerrado see record low deforestation
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Brazil’s National Institute for Space Research (INPE) reported that deforestation in the Amazon rainforest and Cerrado savanna fell to their lowest levels ever recorded between August 2025 and July 2026.
President Luiz Inácio Lula da Silva oversaw a nearly 42% drop in Amazon deforestation, down to 3,335 square kilometers (1,288 square miles).
This rate is the lowest since satellite monitoring began in 1988, and compares to a peak of 13,200 square kilometers (5,097 square miles) cleared in 2021 under the prior administration. The Cerrado, a major agricultural region, also experienced its lowest deforestation level since 2001, with 5,516.69 square kilometers (2,130 square miles) cleared, a 24% decrease. Brazil’s environment and climate change minister, João Paulo Capobianco, stated that the decline resulted from data-driven policies and collaboration between different levels of government.
States historically responsible for high deforestation rates, including Pará, Mato Grosso, and Amazonas, all saw reductions between 45.3% and 46.7%. Scientists note that deforestation was much higher during Brazil’s military dictatorship from 1964 to 1985, averaging 21,130 square kilometers (8,158 square miles) annually between 1978 and 1988, though consistent data from that era is unavailable.
