Deforestation in Brazil's Atlantic forest fell to its lowest level since monitoring began 40 years ago, according to a new report. The biome recorded 8,658 hectares of forest loss in 2025, the first time it has dropped below 10,000 hectares since 1985.
Environmentalists welcomed the decline but warned that recent legislative changes and the prospect of a far-right government could reverse the trend. The so-called 'devastation bill' approved by Brazil's congress weakens environmental protections, while the upcoming presidential election could see Flávio Bolsonaro, son of former president Jair Bolsonaro, return to power.
Luís Fernando Guedes Pinto, executive director of NGO SOS Mata Atlântica, said a Bolsonaro victory could lead to a return of policies that caused historic surges in deforestation during the elder Bolsonaro's 2019-2023 administration. 'There is a risk of returning to a path of rising deforestation across all biomes,' he said.
The data, released by SOS Mata Atlântica and partner organisations, showed a 40% drop in deforestation from 2024 to 2025 using a four-decade monitoring system. A second, more precise system showed a 28% decline to 38,385 hectares, the lowest since its launch in 2022.
Despite the progress, the Atlantic forest retains only 24% of its original cover, making it Brazil's most degraded biome. Pinto noted that 'every fragment lost makes a huge difference' and suggested that zero deforestation could be achieved within three years if the current trend continues.
However, the new law, which removes federal oversight for state-authorised deforestation, poses a significant threat. Malu Ribeiro, director of public policy at SOS Mata Atlântica, called it a 'distortion' that undermines the Paris agreement and risks exacerbating climate disasters.
