Brazil Amazon Deforestation Alerts Fall to Lowest Level Since 2013

Brazil's National Institute for Space Research (INPE) reported on August 9, 2026, that its DETER rapid-alert system recorded 2,874 km² of Amazon deforestation between August 2025 and July 2026 — a 36% decrease from the prior 12-month period and the lowest annual total since 2013 (2,766 km²), and 55.6% below the preceding decade's average. INPE also reported declines in other Brazilian biomes over the same period: Cerrado deforestation alerts fell 7.8% to 5,119 km² (a five-year low), Caatinga fell 34.3% to 2,290 km², Atlantic Forest fell 15.3% to 402 km², and Pampa fell 41.7% to 305 km². President Lula visited INPE's São José dos Campos headquarters on August 7 as the figures were unveiled during the institute's 65th anniversary events, reaffirming his pledge to eliminate illegal deforestation by 2030: 'If we keep up this pace, maintain this level of seriousness and provide the necessary resources, we can achieve that goal.' The result extends a marked decline since Lula's January 2023 return to office and suggests Brazil will record its lowest annual Amazon deforestation rate since 1988 when official PRODES figures are finalized later in 2026. Analysts caution that forest degradation from fire, drought, and selective logging — not captured in deforestation-alert statistics — continues to affect standing forest.