Brazil's Atlantic forest, the country's most threatened biome, recorded its lowest level of deforestation since monitoring began 40 years ago, according to a new report released on Thursday.
Record Low Deforestation
In 2025, the forest saw 8,658 hectares of deforestation, marking the first time it has fallen below 10,000 hectares since 1985. This represents a 40% drop from 2024, when 14,366 hectares were cleared. Another monitoring system, in place since 2022, recorded 38,385 hectares cleared in 2025, a 28% decline from the previous year and the lowest figure in its short history.
The Atlantic forest is Brazil's most populous biome, home to 80% of the population and major cities such as Rio de Janeiro and São Paulo. It is also the country's third-largest biome, behind the Amazon and the Cerrado savanna, but is by far the most urbanised and degraded. Currently, only 24% of its original forest cover remains, compared to about 80% for the Amazon and around 50% for the Cerrado.
Environmentalists Applaud but Warn of Risks
Environmentalists have welcomed the results, suggesting that the biome could achieve "zero deforestation" within the next three years if the downward trend continues. However, they caution that recent political and legislative developments could reverse these gains.
Luís Fernando Guedes Pinto, executive director of the NGO SOS Mata Atlântica, said: "It's a very worrying scenario. With a victory for Bolsonaro, Brazil could lose the opportunity to be a global environmental leader."
Two main threats loom: the recent approval of the so-called "devastation bill" in Brazil's congress, which drastically weakens environmental law, and the prospect of a far-right government returning to power in the October presidential election. Flávio Bolsonaro, senator and son of former president Jair Bolsonaro, is tied in the polls with current president Luiz Inácio Lula da Silva, who is seeking re-election.
Devastation Bill and Political Uncertainty
The new law removes the requirement for prior approval from the federal environmental agency for states to authorise deforestation, leaving the decision entirely to local authorities. Its constitutionality is being challenged in the supreme court. Lula vetoed parts of the bill, but his vetoes were overturned by the largely conservative congress at the end of 2025.
Malu Ribeiro, director of public policy at SOS Mata Atlântica, said the law is a "distortion" that puts Brazil at odds with the Paris agreement and could exacerbate climate disasters. "Weakening protection instruments now risks everything we have spent years building," she added.
During Jair Bolsonaro's 2019–23 administration, his policies led to a historic surge in deforestation and a gold rush into Indigenous lands. Many scientists, environmentalists, and activists fear such rampant destruction could return if his son, who has vowed to follow his father's playbook, comes to power.
Pinto noted: "We have seen the return of a policy to combat deforestation under the current government. If Flávio Bolsonaro wins, there is a risk of returning to a path of rising deforestation across all biomes, because his political group is anti-science, denies climate science, and sees nature and forests as obstacles to development."
Monitoring Systems and Continued Concerns
The two sets of data released on Thursday are based on monitoring carried out in partnership between SOS Mata Atlântica and other organisations. The difference between the two systems stems from the satellites they use: the newer system is more precise, while the older one provides a longer historical record.
Despite the decline, Pinto emphasised that "deforestation is still high" in the biome, adding that "in the Atlantic forest, every fragment lost makes a huge difference." The NGO attributes the recent downward trend to a combination of public pressure, civil society mobilisation, environmental policies, and enforcement actions.
