Brazilian Amazon deforestation hits decade low

Brazilian Amazon deforestation fell to its lowest level in a decade, with 2,874 square kilometers cleared from August 2025 to July 2026, official data showed Friday.

The National Institute for Space Research said the figure, equal to 1,110 square miles, was nearly 37 percent lower than the previous year. The institute began tracking deforestation by satellite in 2016.

President Luiz Inacio Lula da Silva, who has promised to end illegal deforestation by 2030, said the data showed Brazil could reach that goal if it maintained the current pace and provided the necessary resources.

Deforestation in the Amazon peaked at 12,500 square kilometers in 2022 under former president Jair Bolsonaro, according to the supplied figures.

Lula is seeking re-election in October and faces Flavio Bolsonaro, the former president's son. Environmentalists have criticised Lula's support for a large-scale oil exploration project off the Amazon coast.