Amazon deforestation in Brazil hits decade low

Deforestation in the Brazilian Amazon fell to its lowest level in a decade in the first half of the year, according to official figures released Friday.

From January to June, trees were cleared across 1,295 square kilometres in the Brazilian part of the rainforest, the National Institute for Space Research, known as INPE, said. The agency, which tracks deforestation by satellite, said the figure was the lowest since 2016 and was down 38 percent from the same period in 2025.

President Luiz Inacio Lula da Silva, who is seeking re-election in October, has promised to eradicate illegal deforestation by 2030. Deforestation in the Amazon peaked in 2022 under his predecessor Jair Bolsonaro, then fell by half in 2023 after Lula returned to office.

The Cerrado savanna south of the Amazon also recorded a decline. Official figures showed 3,142 square kilometres were cleared there in the first half of the year, the lowest level since 2021.

Environmentalists have criticised Lula's support for an oil exploration project near the mouth of the Amazon River. Lula's main election rival, Flavio Bolsonaro, has pushed for more land development and mining in the Amazon region.