Stories
Amazon Deforestation in Brazil Plummets to Lowest Level Since 1988
N
News18•17-10-2026, 00:45
Amazon Deforestation in Brazil Plummets to Lowest Level Since 1988
- •Brazil announced that annual deforestation in the Amazon fell to its lowest level since records began in 1988, with 3,335 square kilometres lost between August 2025 and July 2026.
- •The sharp decline highlights the success of President Luiz Inácio Lula da Silva's renewed environmental policies, which reversed a 60 percent surge in clearing seen under former President Jair Bolsonaro.
- •Lula revived the Action Plan for the Prevention and Control of Deforestation in the Legal Amazon, restoring satellite-based sanctions, restricting bank loans for illegal clearings, and boosting funding for sustainable development.
- •Despite the historic achievement, experts warn that the Amazon still faces severe threats from climate change, wildfires, and an upcoming presidential runoff between Lula and Sen. Flávio Bolsonaro.
Key Questions Answered
Official satellite data announced by Brazil's government revealed that annual deforestation in the Amazon fell to 3,335 square kilometres between August 2025 and July 2026, marking the lowest level since records began in 1988.
Lula revived the Action Plan for the Prevention and Control of Deforestation in the Legal Amazon (PPCDAm), restored satellite-based sanctions for illegal clearing, barred properties with illegal deforestation from receiving bank loans, and increased funding for environmental crime enforcement.
During Jair Bolsonaro’s presidency from 2019 to 2022, Amazon deforestation surged by approximately 60 percent, resulting in more than 45,000 square kilometers of cleared rainforest.
