SAO PAULO (BN24) Brazil’s Amazon rainforest has lost more than 49 million hectares, an area roughly the size of Spain over the past four decades, satellite data released Friday shows, fueling growing concerns that the world’s largest tropical forest is nearing an ecological tipping point.
The findings come from MapBiomas, a Brazilian-based initiative that uses satellite imagery to monitor changes in land use. The data shows that between 1985 and 2024, deforestation in the Amazon has accelerated, with alarming impacts on the region’s ability to regenerate and sustain its unique ecosystem.
Bruno Ferreira, a researcher affiliated with the study, said the rainforest is dangerously close to what scientists call a “point of no return,” where between 20% to 25% of its vegetation would be either degraded or entirely lost. At that stage, the forest would no longer be able to maintain its self-sustaining rain cycle.
“When too much vegetation is lost, the rain cycle is disrupted, and large areas tend to transform into drier savannas,” Ferreira said.
The Amazon stretches across nine countries, with about 60% of its total area lying within Brazilian territory. Brazil is also set to host the COP30 climate summit in November in the Amazonian city of Belem, where leaders are expected to address global climate priorities, including forest conservation.
MapBiomas reported that deforestation has surged hand-in-hand with livestock farming, which has expanded fivefold during the same period. The conversion of forested land into pasture has played a central role in the ecosystem’s ongoing degradation.
While deforestation rates fell after President Luiz Inacio Lula da Silva took office in 2023, Brazil faced an extreme drought between August 2024 and July 2025. The dry conditions triggered widespread wildfires across the Amazon, further accelerating tree loss and threatening efforts to reverse the damage.
The MapBiomas report paints a stark picture of what lies ahead if the forest’s current trajectory continues, reinforcing warnings from climate scientists that without urgent action, the Amazon may soon lose its capacity to function as the “lungs of the planet.”
