Brazilian government announces an all-time low in Amazon deforestation

Deforestation in the Brazilian Amazon fell by 41.8% over the past year, to 3,335 square kilometers—the lowest level since measurements began in 1988, according to Prodes satellite data published by the government. The result comes ahead of the second round of the presidential election, scheduled for October 25, in which President Luiz Inácio Lula da Silva and Flávio Bolsonaro are facing off.

Since 2022, the year before the Lula administration took office, deforestation has fallen by 71.2%. The trend is attributed to tighter controls, stricter enforcement of legislation, and investment in environmental protection institutions. The deforested area is 1,236 square kilometers smaller than the previous historic low, equivalent to the area of the city of Rio de Janeiro.

The most affected states remain Pará, Mato Grosso, and Amazonas, although deforestation has fallen by more than 45% in all of them. In Roraima, by contrast—a Bolsonaro family electoral stronghold—it increased by 0.4%. The Cerrado biome also reached its lowest deforestation level since 2001, at 5,516 square kilometers.

The results contrast with the 2019–2023 period, when Amazon deforestation increased by 59.5% under Jair Bolsonaro. Environmental organizations warn that a victory for Flávio Bolsonaro could reverse the progress, while Lula’s reelection would maintain the current direction of forest protection.