Amazon forest loss has halved as Brazil prepares to vote
Annual Amazon deforestation fell from 11,594 km² in 2022 to 5,731 km² in 2025 after Lula's government restored enforcement of Brazil's forest code. Carbon Brief estimates that at least 20,000 km² of forest loss has been avoided since 2022, compared with a modelled scenario without enforcement. That record is part of what is at stake in Sunday's presidential runoff between Lula and Flávio Bolsonaro. The election will help determine whether that enforcement continues.Annual Amazon deforestation fell from 11,594 km² in 2022 to 5,731 km² in 2025 after Lula's government restored enforcement of Brazil's forest code. Carbon Brief estimates that at least 20,000 km² of forest loss has been avoided since 2022, compared with a modelled scenario without enforcement. That record is part of what is at stake in Sunday's presidential runoff between Lula and Flávio Bolsonaro. The election will help determine whether that enforcement continues.Expert summary pending. Showing the newcomer version.