Brazilian Amazon Deforestation Falls to Record Low Ahead of Run-Off
· World · The Guardian, The Hindu
Deforestation in the Brazilian Amazon dropped by 41.8 percent over the past year to 3,335 square kilometres, marking the lowest level since records began in 1988. Data from Brazil's National Institute for Space Research shows that the deforestation rate has slowed by 71.2 percent since President Luiz Inácio Lula da Silva took office in 2022, driven by stricter enforcement and environmental investments. The states of Pará, Mato Grosso, and Amazonas registered the highest volumes of clearance, though figures in those regions fell by more than 45 percent. Meanwhile, the neighbouring Cerrado savanna recorded its lowest annual deforestation since 2001 at 5,516 square kilometres. The milestone arrives ahead of a presidential election run-off on October 25 between incumbent Luiz Inácio Lula da Silva and Flávio Bolsonaro.
Why it matters
The record drop in rainforest clearance marks a major environmental achievement for Brazil, though its future remains tied to the outcome of the upcoming presidential run-off.
Read the original report — The Guardian
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