GNV News, May 18, 2026

Positive news has been reported about a decline in Amazon deforestation in Brazil.

According to a report by the Amazon Institute of People and the Environment, a major environmental NGO in Brazil, the area of forest destroyed between August 2025 and March 2026 was 1,460 km², a 36% decrease from the same period of the previous year and the lowest level since 2018. Behind this are strengthened monitoring by the Brazilian government and tougher crackdowns on illegal logging. President Luiz Inácio Lula da Silva has set a goal of completely ending Amazon deforestation by 2030.

However, a paper by a research team including the University of Cambridge warns that a decrease in deforestation does not automatically mean the Amazon is recovering. The study shows that while forest protection policies in the Brazilian Amazon are proving effective in curbing “deforestation,” they are not adequately addressing “forest degradation.” In other words, it points out that even if satellite images make it appear that the forest remains, trees inside are weakened and biodiversity and carbon absorption capacity are being lost.

In addition, a study released by Cornell University in 2026 warns that more than one-third of the Amazon is already at high risk, where it will be difficult to maintain its function and resilience as a tropical rainforest.

Learn more about deforestation → “Brazilian Amazon: 91% of Deforestation Is Illegal”

　　　　　　　　　　　　　→ “Malaysia: Can We Stop Deforestation?”

Fishbone-pattern deforestation (Photo: Planet Labs | Wikimedia Commons [CC BY-SA 4.0])