Amazon Deforestation Falls 42% to Record Low

· Climate · Brazil

Brazil's national space research institute, INPE, reported that deforestation in the Brazilian Amazon over the 12 months ending July 31, 2026, fell to 3,335 square kilometers, the lowest level since record-keeping began. The figure represents a 42 percent drop compared with the previous period, a decline widely attributed to strengthened environmental enforcement under the current Brazilian government. The Amazon is the world's largest rainforest and a critical carbon sink, so the pace of clearing there is one of the most closely watched indicators in global climate policy. The reduction is significant because deforestation in the region had surged to a 15-year high earlier in the decade, drawing international criticism of Brazil's environmental record. Still, scientists caution that further cuts will be needed to approach the zero-deforestation target Brazil has pledged, and that fires and degradation continue to damage forests even where official clearing declines.

Why it matters：The Amazon's capacity to absorb carbon makes its deforestation rate a leading indicator for global climate targets; sustained declines could meaningfully slow warming, while any reversal would undercut country pledges under the Paris Agreement.

Key points

  • Deforestation totaled 3,335 square kilometers in the 12 months ended July 31, 2026.
  • The figure is a 42% drop from the prior period and the lowest on record.
  • Data comes from INPE, Brazil's national space research institute.

Sources (original reporting)

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