MercoPress. South Atlantic News Agency

Deforestation drops in Cerrado but grows in Amazon

Climate Change Minister Marina Silva was present at Thursday's report launch

Over the past 12 months, deforestation in Brazil’s Cerrado biome dropped by 20%, while the Amazon saw a 4% rise in alerts. In the Amazon, alerts covered 4,495 square kilometers—up from 4,321 km² in the previous period. Despite the uptick, this figure represents the second-lowest level recorded in the historical data series.

The measurement for the Cerrado biome registered a 20.8% drop, with alerts covering a total of 5,555 km² compared to 7,014 km² in the previous period.

In the Pantanal, deforestation fell by 72%, with 319 km² compared to 1,148 km² in the previous period. The biome also recorded a 9% drop in fire outbreaks, with 16,125 km² compared to 17,646 km² in the previous period.

The data for the 2024/2025 season, collected from August 2024 to July 2025, were presented on Thursday by the National Institute for Space Research (INPE). Environment and Climate Change Minister Marina Silva was present at the announcement.

The figures are from Deter, a daily rapid alert system to support enforcement. The system issues alerts for clear-cutting, when vegetation is completely removed quickly, as well as alerts for progressive degradation, caused mainly by recurring fires.

According to the Brazilian Institute of the Environment and Renewable Natural Resources (Ibama), during the same period, from August 2024 to July 2025, 3,976 notices of violation were issued and fines totaling R$2.4 billion (US$ 443 million)were imposed. The embargoed area exceeded 5,000 km².

For Ana Crisostomo, conservation specialist at the non-governmental organization WWF-Brazil, the reduction in deforestation in the Amazon shows that it is possible to make progress through public policies and enforcement. But she points out that we must remain alert to environmental setbacks.

“The total veto of the Devastation Bill [Bill 2,159/21] is an example, as it is a crucial decision to prevent the weakening of environmental licenses and maintain the instruments that help to contain destruction. The moment calls for consistency and responsibility: protecting our biomes is protecting the future of the country.” (Agencia Brasil)