Key facts
- Deforestation in the Brazilian Amazon fell 41.8% to 3,335 sq km in the past year.
- This is the lowest level since records began in 1988.
- Deforestation in the Cerrado biome fell to 5,516 sq km, the lowest since 2001.
- Lula da Silva's administration has seen deforestation slow by 71.2% since 2022.
- Flávio Bolsonaro has vowed to release his father, Jair Bolsonaro, and let him take a government position.
Deforestation in the Brazilian Amazon has fallen to its lowest level since records began in 1988, with forest clearance decreasing by 41.8% over the past year to 3,335 square kilometers. This significant reduction, largely attributed to strengthened enforcement measures and environmental agency investments under President Luiz Inácio Lula da Silva's administration, contrasts sharply with the previous term of Jair Bolsonaro, which saw a 59.5% increase in deforestation. The neighboring Cerrado biome also registered its lowest annual deforestation since 2001. The upcoming presidential election run-off on October 25 pits Lula da Silva against Flávio Bolsonaro, son of the former president, with starkly different approaches to environmental protection and Brazil's international relations.