Amazon deforestation in Brazil falls to lowest level since 1988

Brazil's Amazon rainforest deforestation has reached its lowest level since records began in 1988, according to data from Brazil's space research agency Inpe, reported by Al Jazeera, BBC, and others.

The 12 months through July 2026 saw 3,335 square kilometers (1,288 square miles) of forest cleared, a 42 percent decrease compared to the previous year, surpassing the previous record low of 4,571 sq km in 2011-12.

This decline follows a period of increased deforestation under former President Jair Bolsonaro, during whose 2019-2022 term the Amazon lost nearly 60 percent more forest than in the preceding four years.

President Luiz Inácio Lula da Silva, who took office in 2023, pledged to end illegal deforestation by 2030, and the recent data shows deforestation has fallen every year since 2022, down 71.2 percent over four years.

The drop has been attributed to increased monitoring and stricter penalties for illegal logging, according to AFP and climate advocacy groups.

The upcoming presidential run-off election between Lula and Bolsonaro's son, Flavio Bolsonaro, has brought attention to the Amazon's future, with Flavio pledging to continue his father's policies but also to combat organized crime in the region.