Brazil: Amazon deforestation lowest in nearly 40 years

Brazil has recorded the lowest level of deforestation in the Amazon rainforest in nearly 40 years.

According to data released by the Brazilian space research agency Inpe on Friday, between August 2025 and July 2026, 3,335 square kilometers (1,288 square miles) of forest were cleared, the lowest level witnessed since records began in 1988.

The numbers showed a nearly 42% decrease from last year's figure of 5,731 square kilometers.

The Amazon is the world's largest tropical rainforest and one of its most biodiverse ecosystems, most of which lies in Brazil.

It also extends into parts of Peru, Colombia and other South American countries. Deforestation and the illegal exploitation of resources have been pushing it closer to a climate tipping point.

Drop hailed as 'historic achievement'

"It's an absolutely stratospheric drop...it's like a dream," said Environment Minister Joao Paulo Capobianco at a press conference in the capital, Brasilia.

"Our goal is to achieve zero illegal deforestation by 2030," said President Luiz Inacio Lula da Silva in a post on X.

"The figures released today are a historic achievement," said Marcio Astrini, executive secretary at climate advocacy group Observatorio do Clima.

"They put Brazil at the forefront of the forest protection agenda and show the world that, with political will, it is possible to stop the chainsaws and curb greenhouse gas emissions," Astrini said on his organization's website.

Observatorio do Clima said the figures were the result of a "sustained commitment" to protecting the environment by the government, which introduced greater monitoring and stiffer penalties for illegal logging.

The news comes ahead of the October 25 runoff election between Lula and conservative senator Flavio Bolsonaro with the two running neck and neck according to polls.

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Edited by: Sean Sinico