Deforestation in the Atlantic Forest reached its lowest level in four decades in 2025, with the loss of mature forests dropping 40% to 8,668 hectares.
Data released by the SOS Mata Atlântica Foundation in partnership with INPE shows that annual suppression fell below 10,000 hectares for the first time since monitoring began in 1985.
The SAD Mata Atlântica system recorded a 28% drop in total deforestation, from 53,303 hectares to 38,385 hectares. The reduction occurred in 11 of the 17 states in the biome, with Bahia, Minas Gerais, Piauí and Mato Grosso do Sul accounting for 89% of the devastated area.
Experts attribute the result to environmental enforcement and the application of the Atlantic Forest Law. Luís Fernando Guedes Pinto, executive director of SOS Mata Atlântica, said public policies work when there is strict law enforcement.
Despite the improvement, new environmental licensing laws approved in 2025 raise concerns among environmentalists, who fear weakened protection.