A vast tropical savanna ecoregion of central Brazil
Official satellite data has shown Amazon forest loss fell 41.8% to 3,335 sq km in the 12 months to July 2026, the smallest annual loss since monitoring began in 1988. Brazil’s government credits strengthened enforcement and revived anti-deforestation programs, while a presidential run-off between Lula and Flávio Bolsonaro will determine whether protections continue.
The Guardian and AP reports show Lula has won the runoff, while the opposition faces a Congress sympathetic to extractivism. Analysts warn that deforestation pressures persist, even as Amazon protections see a record decline in destruction under Lula. The result signals a global south leadership moment, with the Amazon's fate closely tied to policy shifts and international funding.