Amazon deforestation falls 37% to record low in Brazil
Brazil’s latest Amazon data gives President Lula a measurable climate result before October’s election, while fires, drought and forest degradation show that progress remains fragile.
🔍 WHY THIS STORY MATTERS
Brazil has recorded another sharp fall in Amazon deforestation, strengthening evidence that enforcement can curb forest loss while leaving major climate, fire and degradation risks unresolved.
KEY TAKEAWAYS...
● Deforestation alerts fell 36.87% to 2,874.38 sq km from August 2025 to July 2026.
● The result extends a marked decline since President Lula returned to office in January 2023.
● Fires, drought and logging can still damage standing forest beyond the areas counted as deforestation.
D eforestation alerts in the Brazilian Amazon have fallen to their lowest level since the current monitoring series began, giving President Luiz Inácio Lula da Silva a significant environmental result months before Brazil’s presidential election.
Brazil’s National Institute for Space Research, INPE, recorded 2,874.38 square kilometres under deforestation alerts between August 2025 and July 2026, down 36.87% from the previous 12-month period.
President Lula travelled to INPE’s headquarters in São José dos Campos, near São Paulo, on Friday 7 August, where the figures were presented during events marking the institute’s 65th anniversary.
The president used the occasion to restate his commitment to eliminate illegal deforestation by 2030.
“The figures show that, if we keep up this pace, maintain this level of seriousness and provide the necessary resources, we can achieve that goal,” Lula said during the presentation.
The latest data extend a marked decline since Lula returned to the presidency in January 2023 after defeating Jair Bolsonaro. Earlier reductions in Amazon forest loss under Lula were documented by Le Monde.
Amazon deforestation had risen sharply during Bolsonaro’s presidency. In 2022, the final year of his administration, more than 10,000 sq km was cleared, according to official Brazilian data. The rate then fell substantially after Lula returned to office and environmental enforcement was strengthened. Associated Press reported a further decline in the August 2024 to July 2025 period.
Lula is seeking a fourth, non-consecutive presidential term in October. The latest figures therefore give him a measurable result to point to on one of the central environmental commitments of his presidency as he launches his formal campaign.
The improvement does not mean pressure on the Amazon has ended. Deforestation alerts measure forest clearing, while fires, drought and logging can degrade standing forest without appearing as outright deforestation. Recent reporting highlighted continuing threats even as clearing fell.
The distinction matters because degradation can damage biodiversity, weaken the forest’s ability to store carbon and increase its vulnerability to future fires and clearing.
Even so, the latest figures strengthen evidence that Brazil’s recent decline in Amazon forest loss has continued rather than reversed.
For President Lula, the result also turns a major climate promise into a clearer test of government performance as Brazilian voters prepare for the October election.
🔮 WHAT MATTERS NEXT...
🎯 WHAT TO WATCH NEXT:
● Whether the decline in deforestation alerts is confirmed by Brazil’s more comprehensive annual forest-loss measurements.
● Whether fires and drought undermine gains made against clear-cutting.
● Whether enforcement against illegal logging and land clearing remains strong through the election period.
● How Lula uses the Amazon record during the October presidential campaign.
🎯 MOST LIKELY OUTCOME:
● Amazon deforestation is likely to remain well below the levels recorded during the Bolsonaro presidency, although reaching zero illegal deforestation by 2030 remains uncertain.
🎯 WHAT COULD CHANGE THE PICTURE:
● Severe drought, widespread fires, weaker enforcement or policy changes that increase pressure on protected forest could reverse part of the progress.
🎯 WHY THIS MATTERS:
● Brazil’s results provide a measurable test of whether sustained political commitment and environmental enforcement can reduce destruction of one of the world’s most important forests.
GOING FURTHER
Governo Federal apresenta dados que indicam redução do desmatamento nos biomas brasileiros | INPE (Instituto Nacional de Pesquisas Espaciais)
Amazon deforestation alerts hit all-time low in 2026 | Observatório do Clima
Decline in Alerts Paves the Way for Zero Deforestation in the Amazon | Instituto de Pesquisa Ambiental da Amazônia
Brazil reports sharp drop in Amazon deforestation | Associated Press
Brazil’s Amazon deforestation falls as fires surge | Associated Press
Amazon deforestation falls to its lowest level in nine years | Le Monde
Lula formally launches bid for Brazil’s presidency | Euronews
Amazon forest fires fell to historic low in 2025 | Euronews
Deforestation in Brazil’s Amazon falls sharply | Euronews
Amazon continues to burn despite falling deforestation | Le Monde
Lula sets out Brazil’s climate and Amazon ambitions | Le Monde
Sources:
▪ This piece was first published in Europeans TODAY on 9 August 2026.
▪ Cover: Dreamstime/JOA SOUZA.
