Deforestation in the Brazilian Amazon dropped by 20.6 percent last year, reaching its lowest level since 2019. Data from the MapBiomas monitoring network shows that 985,000 hectares of native vegetation were lost, with agriculture driving 99 percent of the destruction. While the decline reflects increased enforcement and sanctions under President Lula da Silva, significant challenges remain. The Cerrado savanna continues to face heavy losses, and the rate of tree felling in the Amazon remains high despite the overall downward trend.
