EnvironmentSaturday, 17 October 2026·The Hindu - International
Brazil Amazon deforestation hits record low in 12 months to July 2026
Brazil’s Amazon lost 3,335 sq km in the 12 months through July 2026, the lowest level since Inpe records began in 1988.
Key highlights
Direct fact
In October 2026, Brazil’s space research agency Inpe said Amazon deforestation fell to 3,335 square kilometres in the 12 months through July 2026, the lowest level in the record series that began in 1988.
Key specifics
- Inpe released the data on October 16, 2026 through its PRODES satellite monitoring programme.
- The 3,335 sq km loss was about 42% lower than the preceding 12-month period.
- The previous low in Brazil’s Amazon was 4,571 sq km in 2011-2012.
- In the mid-1990s, annual Amazon deforestation in Brazil reached nearly 30,000 sq km.
- Brazil’s Cerrado savanna also saw a 24% fall, to 5,517 sq km, in the same period.
Exam lens
Question type: Environment report and index facts, Inpe, PRODES, 1988 baseline, 3,335 sq km, 42% fall, Cerrado 5,517 sq km. TNPSC may ask which agency monitors Brazil’s forest loss and which region recorded the lowest deforestation.