Deforestation in Brazil’s Amazon falls to lowest level since 1988 — The Guardian

In Brazil, deforestation in the Amazon decreased by 41.8% over the past year, to 3,335 square kilometres. This is the lowest figure since satellite monitoring began in 1988, The Guardian reports, citing data from Brazil’s National Institute for Space Research.

Lowest figure in 38 years

Data from the Prodes satellite system, which the publication describes as the most accurate indicator of deforestation, show that the new result is 1,236 square kilometres below the previous record low. Since the beginning of President Luiz Inácio Lula da Silva’s administration in 2022, deforestation rates in the Amazon have fallen by 71.2%, according to these data.

The largest areas of deforestation in 2026 were recorded in the states of Pará, accounting for 33.9% of the total, Mato Grosso, with 25.5%, and Amazonas, with 15.7%. At the same time, figures in each of these states declined by more than 45% compared with the previous year. Roraima was the only state where the situation worsened, with deforestation rising by 0.4%.

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Decline also in the Cerrado

In the Cerrado, a savanna biome neighbouring the Amazon, the annual deforested area totalled 5,516 square kilometres, the lowest level since 2001. Over the past four years, deforestation in the Cerrado has declined by 48.4%.

The statistics were released ahead of Brazil’s presidential election runoff, scheduled for October 25. Incumbent President Lula da Silva is competing against Flávio Bolsonaro, the son of former President Jair Bolsonaro. Environmental groups said the new data show how much depends on the outcome of the vote.