Amazon deforestation in Brazil just fell 41.8% — the steepest drop since records began in 1988

Brazil's satellite monitors have delivered the number conservationists have waited decades for: deforestation in the Brazilian Amazon fell 41.8% in the twelve months to July 2026 — the largest annual decline since records began in 1988. In the Cerrado savanna, clearing fell 23.8%. Environment Minister João Paulo Capobianco called the drop 'absolutely stratospheric'; Márcio Astrini of the Observatorio do Clima called it 'an historic achievement' showing that 'with political will, it is possible to curb deforestation.' Reporting credits restored satellite-based sanctions, loan bans for properties that clear illegally, and extra support for towns that cut their losses. Brazil, which holds about 60% of the Amazon, targets zero illegal deforestation by 2030.

SDG 15 · Life on land — Mechanism: policy reform