Amazon deforestation drops 42% in Brazil's best year since 1988

Brazil's Amazon rainforest is finally seeing its best year since tracking started back in 1988. Official numbers reveal a stunning 42 percent drop in forest clearance compared to last year, delivering a massive political windfall for President Luiz Inacio Lula da Silva just days before the presidential run-off begins. The space research agency Inpe released the data on Friday, stating that only 3,335 square kilometres of forest vanished during the twelve months ending in July. That figure is roughly 42 percent lower than what happened a year prior.

This marks a significant turnaround from previous years. The last time such low numbers appeared was between 2011 and 2012, when losses hit 4,571 square kilometres. Back in the mid-1990s, annual destruction nearly reached 30,000 square kilometres. Inpe's Prodes satellite programme tracks these changes from August to July because cloud cover is usually thinner then, allowing for clearer views of the canopy.

"It's an absolutely stratospheric drop…it's like a dream," said Environment Minister Joao Paulo Capobianco during a press event in Brasilia. Marcio Astrini, who works with the climate advocacy group Observatorio do Clima, called the results "a historic achievement." He noted that the data proves political will can actually stop deforestation and cut greenhouse gas emissions.

President Lula posted on X about his objective to reach zero illegal deforestation by 2030. When he took office in 2023, he made this pledge after watching forest loss climb to a fifteen-year high under Jair Bolsonaro. During Bolsonaro's term from 2019 to 2022, the Amazon lost about 11,600 square kilometres annually on average. That was almost 60 percent more than in the four years before him. Since 2022, destruction has fallen every single year. Over that span of four years, the total drop stands at 71.2 percent. The AFP news agency points to better monitoring and harsher penalties for illegal logging as the main drivers behind this change.

Lula is now facing off against Senator Flavio Bolsonaro in the election run-off on October 25. Polls show the two candidates are nearly tied. In his manifesto, Flavio promised to tighten environmental oversight in the Amazon. He also wants enforcement to target organized crime instead of extractive workers and small farmers. His goal is to end "illegal deforestation" by 2029. Flavio has praised his father for opposing what he calls a "radical environmental agenda," even though the older Bolsonaro currently serves a 27-year sentence under house arrest for coup plotting.

The good news extends beyond just the rainforest. Deforestation in the Cerrado savanna, which lies south of the Amazon, also fell by about 24 percent. That area saw 5,517 square kilometres cleared, the lowest amount recorded since tracking began in 2001. Lula faces a tough battle on October 25 as he tries to protect this progress before his term ends.