AKP Phnom Penh, the October 21, 2026--
Brazil's progress in curbing deforestation across the Amazon rainforest and the Cerrado savanna over the past three years has spared the global economy an estimated 1.16 trillion reals (232 billion U.S. dollars), according to a study published on Tuesday.
The economic benefit stems from prevention, including curbing the release of harmful greenhouse gases and their damaging impact on climate change, said the study by Brazil's prestigious think tank, the Getulio Vargas Foundation (FGV), whose findings were published by the state-run news agency Agencia Brasil.
Of the total estimated benefits, 67-192 billion reals (13.4-38.4 billion dollars) represent the prevention of climate-related damage to Brazil's own economy, according to the study.
The study compares deforestation in 2019-2022 with that in 2023-2026. Data from the National Institute for Space Research showed that from August 2025 to July 2026, deforestation fell by 41.8 percent in the Amazon and by 23.8 percent in the Cerrado.
Deforested area in the Amazon totaled 3,335 square km, the lowest figure since 1988, while in the Cerrado, it reached 5,516.69 square km, the lowest level since 2001.
Taken together, deforested area across both biomes dropped from 78,900 square km in 2019-2022 to 56,700 square km in 2023-2026. In other words, some 22,200 square km were spared from deforestation.
Cutting the deforestation rate prevented as much as 1.49 billion tons of greenhouse gases from polluting the atmosphere over the period studied.
The study employs a cost of 145 dollars per ton of carbon dioxide, placing the value of climate-related damage prevention at 1.16 trillion reals (232 billion dollars).
The calculation does not take into account the direct regional effects of Amazonian deforestation on rainfall, temperature and water availability in Brazil. Moisture transported by so-called "flying rivers," atmospheric currents fueled by the rain forest's "evapotranspiration," contributes to precipitation in the country's central-western, southeastern and southern regions.
"Reducing deforestation is not incompatible with expanding agricultural production, because the agribusiness sector itself is one of the primary beneficiaries of the rainfall generated by the forest," the report said.
According to the report, the economic benefits of keeping forests standing far outweigh financial compensation Brazil receives from other countries or international schemes.

AKP-Xinhua