Deforestation in Brazil’s Amazon Crisis in 2026

Brazil’s Amazon deforestation trend is **improving**, with official and independent monitoring showing continued declines into 2026. INPE satellite alerts found **1,325 km²** of clearing from **Aug. 1, 2025 to Jan. 31, 2026**, down from **2,050 km²** a year earlier, and the trailing 12-month total fell to **3,770 km²** from **4,245 km²**; both are the lowest for those periods since 2014. INPE’s PRODES annual system also reported **5,796 km²** of deforestation in the 12 months ending **July 31, 2025**, an **11.08%** decline and the lowest annual total since 2014. The crisis is not over. Reuters and Mongabay report that fire, degradation, cattle ranching, illegal mining, road expansion, and other land-use pressures continue to affect forest stability, even as overall clearing falls. In the first half of 2026, Brazil recorded **1,295 km²** of Amazon deforestation, **38%** below the same period in 2025, and May 2026 was reported as **61.4% lower** than May 2025; however, substantial clearing persisted and the dry season remains a recurring risk.