Brazil's government has reported that deforestation rates in the country's Amazon and savanna regions have fallen to record lows. This announcement comes ahead of a presidential election run-off where the future of the rainforest is a key issue.
Satellite data indicates that in the year leading up to July 2026, the deforestation rate in the Amazon decreased by 41.8%. This marks the largest drop since records began in 1988. The Cerrado, Brazil's savanna region, also saw a fall of 23.8%.
President Luiz Inácio Lula da Silva, who assumed office three years ago, pledged to end deforestation in the Amazon by 2030. Deforestation had increased under his predecessor, Jair Bolsonaro. Lula reversed Bolsonaro's policies, tightening environmental monitoring and penalties for illegal logging, which led to deforestation rates dropping to a six-year low during his first year in office.
Lula is set to face Bolsonaro's son Flavio in the run-off election on 25 October. Polls suggest a close race. Flavio Bolsonaro is expected to continue his father's policies if he wins, though he has also pledged to combat organised crime in the Amazon.
Brazil's Environment Minister, Joao Paulo Capobianco, described the decline in Amazon deforestation as "absolutely stratospheric". Marcio Astrini, executive secretary at climate advocacy group Observatorio do Clima, called it a "historic achievement" for Brazil, demonstrating that "with political will, it is possible to curb deforestation and greenhouse gas emissions".