Brazil Records Sharp Fall in Amazon Deforestation Ahead of Election

Brazil’s Amazon deforestation fell by 41.8% in the 12 months to July 2026, the largest drop since records began in 1988, according to satellite data. The decline brought destruction to a record low ahead of the presidential run-off on October 25. About 3,335 sq km of forest were cleared during the period. The Cerrado, Brazil’s savanna region, also saw deforestation fall by 23.8%. President Luiz Inácio Lula da Silva has pledged to end deforestation by 2030; he faces Flávio Bolsonaro