Compared to Previous Year, Deforestation in Brazil’s Amazon Drops by Nearly 31%

Brazil recently reported a significant milestone in its fight against deforestation, announcing a 30.6% reduction in forest loss within the Amazon over the past year.

This marks the lowest rate of destruction in nine years, as the Amazon rainforest lost 6,288 square kilometers (2,428 square miles) of forest between August 1, 2022, and July 30, 2023—an area roughly the size of Delaware.

This announcement, made at Brazil’s presidential palace, highlights a sharp shift from the policies of former President Jair Bolsonaro.

During Bolsonaro’s administration, deforestation rates surged to a 15-year high as agribusiness expansion was prioritized, and environmental protections were weakened.

In contrast, President Luiz Inácio Lula da Silva’s current administration has intensified efforts to preserve the rainforest, bolstering Brazil’s environmental agencies and enacting stricter regulations on deforestation.

In addition to success in the Amazon, deforestation in the Cerrado, Brazil’s vast savannah and the world’s most biodiverse savannah, dropped by 25.7%, marking the first decline in five years.

The Cerrado saw 8,174 square kilometers (3,156 square miles) of destruction, and despite its rich biodiversity, it faces fewer protections than the Amazon.

While deforestation rates have declined, environmentalists have voiced concerns over Lula’s support for projects that could endanger these fragile ecosystems, including a proposal to pave a highway through a region of old-growth forest, initiate oil drilling at the mouth of the Amazon River, and construct a railway to transport soy through the Amazon.

Each project, critics argue, could lead to further habitat loss and carbon emissions, undermining Brazil’s conservation efforts.

Moreover, the recent report does not account for the past few months, during which Brazil endured a historic drought that led to widespread fires in the Amazon.

Fires in the rainforest tend to burn through leaf litter rather than clear-cutting treetops, so much of the resulting damage is classified as degradation rather than full deforestation.

However, the fires have left a lasting impact, and satellite monitoring over the coming months will provide a clearer picture.

Officials fear that deforestation may rise next year as Belem, an Amazonian city, prepares to host the annual U.N. climate summit, COP30, drawing global attention to the area.

The Amazon rainforest, covering an area twice the size of India, is not only the largest rainforest on Earth but also a vital carbon sink, storing vast amounts of carbon dioxide and helping to mitigate climate change.

The basin is home to roughly 20% of the world’s freshwater and holds remarkable biodiversity, including over 16,000 known tree species, underscoring its role as a critical global environmental resource.