Brazil records 20% deforestation decline as new state plan targets further cuts

In 2025 Brazil achieved a 20.6% reduction in deforestation compared with the previous year, according to the MapBiomas satellite‑based report. The drop was attributed to intensified enforcement, real‑time monitoring systems such as INPE’s DETER, and coordinated actions by IBAMA, the Federal Police and other agencies.

At the same time, a bill pending in the national Congress proposes to shift enforcement responsibilities to states and municipalities and to lower penalties, a change that environmental groups warn could reverse the recent gains.

Separately, the state of Goiás released the Plano de Prevenção e Controle do Desmatamento, Queimadas e Incêndios Florestais (2026‑2029). The plan sets four strategic axes—sustainable production, environmental monitoring, land‑regularisation, and economic‑instrument policies—and aims to embargo 100% of illegal clear‑cutting by 2028, increase seizure of illegal logging equipment by 50%, deploy high‑resolution satellite imagery, create a state environmental intelligence unit, and expand forest‑fire brigades and payment‑for‑ecosystem‑services schemes.