New government data indicates that deforestation in the Brazilian Amazon has reached its lowest level since records began in 1988. The Prodes satellite data series shows forest clearance in the Amazon fell by 41.8% over the past year, to 3,335 square kilometres.
This figure represents the lowest value since such measurements started in 1988, surpassing the previous record low by 1,236 square kilometres. According to data collated by Brazil’s National Institute for Space Research, the deforestation rate has slowed by 71.2% since the Lula administration began in 2022. This reduction is attributed largely to stronger enforcement measures and state investments in environmental agencies.
The states of Pará, Mato Grosso, and Amazonas registered the highest percentages of Amazon deforestation in the past year, at 33.9%, 25.5%, and 15.7% respectively. However, even in these states, figures were down by more than 45% compared to the previous year. Roraima was the only state where the problem worsened, with an increase of 0.4%.
Outside the Amazon, the neighbouring Cerrado biome recorded its lowest annual deforestation since 2001, at 5,516 square kilometres. Over the past four years, Cerrado deforestation has fallen by 48.4%.