Brazil's government reported record declines in Amazon and savanna deforestation ahead of a presidential run-off election scheduled for October 25, with environmental policy a central issue in the race.
Satellite data shows deforestation in the Amazon fell 41.8% in the year through July 2026, the largest drop since records began in 1988. Deforestation in the Cerrado savanna region declined 23.8% over the same period, according to official figures.
Left-wing President Luiz Inácio Lula da Silva, who pledged to end Amazon deforestation by 2030 when he took office three years ago, will face Flavio Bolsonaro, son of right-wing former president Jair Bolsonaro. Polls show a close race. Flavio has said he would continue his father's policies, though he pledged to fight organized crime in the Amazon.
Under Bolsonaro's 2019 to 2022 presidency, the Amazon lost nearly 60 percent more forest compared to the previous four years, according to AFP reporting on official data. Bolsonaro promoted mining in indigenous lands and cut resources for forest protection. Deforestation rates during his tenure surged.
Since taking office, Lula reversed Bolsonaro's policies. He tightened environmental monitoring and penalties for illegal logging, bringing deforestation to a six-year low in his first year. On Friday, Lula posted on X that the government's goal remains "zero illegal deforestation by 2030."
Brazil's Environment Minister Joao Paulo Capobianco described the deforestation decline as "absolutely stratospheric." Marcio Astrini, executive secretary at climate advocacy group Observatorio do Clima, called it a "historic achievement," adding that it demonstrates "with political will, it is possible to curb deforestation and greenhouse gas emissions."
The Amazon is the world's largest rainforest. Sixty percent of it sits within Brazil's borders. Tropical rainforests absorb large quantities of carbon dioxide when healthy, helping regulate global temperatures. Scientists warn that climate change can create conditions for wildfires in these ecosystems, which face pressure from decades of deliberate land clearance for agriculture and logging.