Under Lula, Amazon deforestation falls to lowest level in a decade

The figures come months before Brazil’s presidential election, with Lula promising to end deforestation" class="entity-link entity-topic" data-entity-id="139004" data-entity-type="topic">illegal deforestation by 2030.deforestation in Brazil’s Amazon rainforest has fallen to its lowest level in a decade during the first half of 2026, according to official government figures.Friday’s statistics mark a milestone in President Luiz Inacio Lula da Silva’s efforts to curb the destruction of the world’s largest rainforest.Recommended Stories list of 4 itemslist 1 of 4‘Encouraging’: Global rainforest loss slows in 2025 after record yearlist 2 of 4US targets Brazil with new tariffs over trade practiceslist 3 of 4Lula says Brazil cannot ‘accept treatment’ after new US tariffs proposedlist 4 of 4Flavio Bolsonaro asks Trump to delay tariffs on Brazil until after electionend of listFrom January to June, an estimated 1,295 square kilometres (500 square miles) of forest were cleared in the Brazilian Amazon, a 38 percent drop compared with the same period last year, according to Brazil’s National Institute for Space Research (INPE). It was also the lowest overall decrease since 2016.In recent years, deforestation in Brazil reached a peak around 2022, under Lula’s far-right predecessor Jair Bolsonaro. That year saw the clearing of an area 13 times the size of New York City.Bolsonaro had advocated for “sustainable development” and mining in the Amazon, though critics say he allowed for greater environmental destruction, as well as the erosion of Indigenous rights in the region.In the 2022 presidential race, Lula defeated Bolsonaro in part by pledging to protect Brazil’s environmental resources. He also reaffirmed Brazil’s commitment to end deforestation" class="entity-link entity-topic" data-entity-id="139004" data-entity-type="topic">illegal deforestation by 2030.During Lula’s first year back in office, Brazil’s deforestation rate dropped by half and has continued to go down.But Lula has faced scrutiny for his environmental record overall, with critics blasting his government for authorising expanded oil exploration near the mouth of the Amazon River.The left-wing Lula has also navigated tensions with the right-wing government of United States President Donald Trump, a supporter of Bolsonaro.