After years of growing concern, the policies adopted by the Brazil government appear to be bearing fruit in Amazonia. Deforestation data show that, over the past twelve months, the lowest level since measurements began has been recorded.

The lowest level of deforestation since measurements began

Over the period between August 2025 and July 2026, "only" 2,874 square kilometres of Amazon rainforest were cleared. This figure represents a 36 percent drop compared to the previous year, when 4,495 square kilometres were reached, according to data collected through Deter, the Real-time deforestation detection system.

The system uses near-real-time satellite imagery to guide environmental inspections subsequently carried out by Ibama (Brazil's federal environmental agency). Its limitation, however, lies in the resolution of the images, which remains relatively low. For this reason, the values detected by Deter are then certified and supplemented by another system, Prodes, whose estimates are published at the end of each year.

In 2022, the deforested area had exceeded 10,000 square kilometres

The non-governmental organisation Brazilian Climate Observatory highlighted in a press release that "over the four years of Luiz Inácio Lula da Silva's third term, the area subject to deforestation alerts in Amazonia reached 19,642 square kilometres, recording a 41 percent drop compared to the 2019–2022 period, during which the extent had been 33,400 square kilometres". That is roughly the size of a nation as large as Belgium.

"This demonstrates that the country has found the right formula to contain the destruction of tropical forests, applying the same set of public policies that at the beginning of the century had halted both the chainsaws and greenhouse gas emissions," the NGO added. In the final year of Jair Bolsonaro's previous presidency, 2022, the deforested area had instead peaked at 10,278 square kilometres.

Lula: "If we maintain the pace, we can bring illegal deforestation to zero by 2030"

"The figures," the Brazilian head of state observed during the presentation of the data at the headquarters of the National Institute for Space Research (Inpe), near São Paulo, "show that, if we maintain this pace seriously and if we guarantee the necessary resources, we can achieve the goal we set ourselves." The reference is to the campaign pledge to eliminate illegal deforestation by 2030.

Although decisive, the commitment of a single nation will not be enough: the immense Amazon rainforest stretches across a vast territory, spanning no fewer than nine South American nations. A joint effort is therefore needed to preserve a resource that is fundamental not only for local ecosystems and biodiversity, but also for the Earth's climate, thanks to the carbon dioxide absorption provided by its vegetation.