Deforestation in Brazil's Amazon and Cerrado regions has fallen to record lows ahead of a presidential run-off in which the rainforest's future is a key issue.
01Summary
- 01Satellite data shows Amazon deforestation fell 41.8% in the year to July 2026, the biggest drop since records began in 1988.
- 02Deforestation in the Cerrado savanna fell by 23.8% over the same period.
- 03President Lula, who took office three years ago, pledged to end deforestation by 2030, reversing policies of his predecessor Jair Bolsonaro.
- 04Lula will face Flavio Bolsonaro in the run-off on 25 October; polls suggest a tight race.
- 05Brazil's environment minister called the decline in Amazon deforestation 'absolutely stratospheric'.
02Why it matters
The Amazon absorbs vast amounts of carbon dioxide and is crucial for global climate stability; the outcome of the election could either sustain or reverse these gains.
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