Brazil sees record fall in Amazon deforestation as key election looms

Brazil's government says deforestation rates in the country's Amazon and savanna regions have fallen to record lows ahead of a presidential election run-off where the rainforest's future is a key issue.

Left-wing President Luiz Inácio Lula da Silva, when he assumed office three years ago, pledged to end deforestation by 2030 in the Amazon. It had surged under his right-wing predecessor, Jair Bolsonaro.

On 25 October, Lula will face Bolsonaro's son Flavio in the run-off, with polls suggesting a neck-and-neck race. Flavio is expected to continue his father's policies if he wins, though he has pledged to fight organised crime in the Amazon.

Satellite data shows that in the year up to July 2026, the deforestation rate fell by 41.8% in the Amazon - the biggest drop since records began in 1988. The fall in the Cerrado, Brazil's savanna region, was 23.8%.

The Amazon rainforest - the world's largest - is a crucial buffer in the global fight against climate change and 60% of it is located in Brazil.

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Jair Bolsonaro promoted mining in indigenous lands in the Amazon and forest clearances soared at the same time as resources to protect the forest were cut.

During Bolsonaro's presidency from 2019 to 2022, the Amazon lost nearly 60% more in forest lands compared to the previous four years, AFP news agency reported, citing official data.

Lula reversed Jair Bolsonaro's policies and saw deforestation rates drop to a six-year low during his first year in office. Lula tightened up environmental monitoring and penalties for illegal logging.

"Our goal is to achieve zero illegal deforestation by 2030," he said in a post on X on Friday.

Tropical rainforests like the Amazon are home to millions of species. In a healthy state they absorb vast quantities of planet-warming carbon dioxide, helping to keep the Earth cool.

But they have come under increasing pressure from decades of deliberate land clearance for agriculture and logging, as well as climate change, which scientists warn can create conditions for wildfires.

Brazil's Environment Minister, Joao Paulo Capobianco, described the decline in Amazon deforestation as "absolutely stratospheric".

It is a "historic achievement" for Brazil, said Marcio Astrini, executive secretary at climate advocacy group Observatorio do Clima.

It shows that "with political will, it is possible to curb deforestation and greenhouse gas emissions", Astrini said.