Brazil sees record fall in Amazon deforestation as key election looms

What the report says

Brazil says deforestation in the Amazon and the country’s savanna has fallen to record lows, according to satellite-based government data reported by BBC World News. The figures come as Brazil heads toward a presidential run-off in which the future of the rainforest is a major political issue. President Luiz Inácio Lula da Silva, who took office three years ago, campaigned on reversing the rise in forest loss and has again pledged to end illegal deforestation by 2030.

The BBC report said the deforestation rate in the Amazon dropped 41.8% in the year to July 2026, the steepest decline since records began in 1988. In the Cerrado, Brazil’s savanna region, the fall was 23.8%. Lula’s administration has tightened environmental monitoring and penalties for illegal logging after deforestation surged under former president Jair Bolsonaro, who promoted more mining in indigenous areas and reduced resources for forest protection, according to the report.

The timing is politically sensitive because Lula will face Bolsonaro’s son Flavio in the 25 October run-off, with polls indicating a close race. Flavio has said he would focus on combating organized crime in the Amazon, and is expected by observers to continue many of his father’s policies if elected.

The Amazon is widely regarded as vital to global climate regulation because of its role in storing carbon and supporting biodiversity. Climate campaigners quoted by the BBC called the latest decline a significant sign that stronger government action can curb forest loss.