Earth editorial note
Brazilian Amazon deforestation dropped 38% year-on-year in the first half of 2026, reaching a 10-year low of 1,295 square kilometres according to INPE satellite data. Fires also fell nearly 40% below the historic average. The positive trend reflects sustained enforcement investment under the current administration, which hired 831 new agents and launched a 825.7 million reais ($159 million) remote monitoring program.
But scientists are cautioning against premature celebration. A forecasted "super" El Niño through late 2026 threatens to bring drought conditions to parts of the Amazon. The combination of heat, low rainfall, and criminal fires is described by researchers as "a recipe for environmental disaster." Brazil has increased its national firefighting budget by 20% in response, and illegal gold mining continues to drive degradation in Indigenous territories.
Original source
Mongabay
https://news.mongabay.com/short-article/amazon-deforestation-falls-to-10-year-low-in-first-half-of-2026/
This summary was prepared by the Earth editorial team. Earth is a knowledge commons supported by EARTH PBC, a technology company building monitoring infrastructure for planetary stewardship. We have a commercial interest in earth observation and supply chain transparency, which we disclose here. Our editorial standards require that news items are selected for relevance to the field, not to promote EARTH's commercial interests.