The Brazilian Space Research Agency announced that deforestation in the Amazon rainforest has fallen to its lowest recorded level since 1988, with the lost area between August 2025 and July 2026 reaching approximately 3,335 square kilometers, a 41.8 percent decrease compared to 5,731 square kilometers in the same period last year.
The agency noted that deforestation has dropped by 71 percent since 2023, thanks to President Lula da Silva's plan, which has reinforced monitoring, law enforcement, and encouraged a sustainable economy. The plan included reinstating penalties for illegal deforestation detected by satellites and denying bank loans to lands undergoing illegal clearing.
For his part, Marcio Astrini, Executive Secretary of the "Climate Observatory," stated that agriculture is recording record production and export figures while deforestation declines, noting that the announced rates show Brazil's ability to meet its commitment to reach net-zero deforestation by 2030 without sacrificing its economy.
Deforestation remains the largest source of greenhouse gas emissions in Brazil, but the Amazon is still threatened by the impacts of climate change and the "El Nino" phenomenon, which could exacerbate fires in 2026 and 2027, although the number of fires this year was near its lowest historical levels before tripling after the presidential elections.
The Amazon rainforest, of which Brazil owns about 60 percent, is known as the "lungs of the Earth" because it is home to 10 percent of global biodiversity and a massive reservoir that absorbs billions of tons of carbon emissions.
Source: Syrian Arab News Agency (SANA)
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