Environmental enforcement in the Amazon has increased by 80% in two years.
Increased federal actions have resulted in more fines and a significant drop in illegal deforestation, according to official data from the Ministry of the Environment.
247 - The federal government significantly expanded environmental enforcement in the Amazon between 2023 and 2025, with an 80% increase in the number of operations carried out in the region. The actions focused on combating illegal deforestation, mining, and wildfires, reinforcing the state's presence in areas historically pressured by illicit activities.
Data from the Ministry of the Environment indicates that approximately 25 enforcement operations were carried out in the last year alone. During the same period, the volume of environmental fines issued in the Amazon increased by 63%, reflecting the tightening of control and punishment measures against environmental crimes.
In addition to improved enforcement, official figures indicate a direct impact on environmental indicators. Between 2024 and 2025, illegal deforestation in the Legal Amazon fell by 61%, a result associated with the increased presence of agents in the field and the greater response capacity of federal environmental agencies.
The intensification of enforcement was not limited to the Amazon rainforest. In the Cerrado biome, the growth in environmental fines was even more pronounced, with a 130% increase in 2025 compared to 2023, highlighting a broader strategy of repressing environmental infractions in different regions of the country.
According to the federal government, the improvement in environmental indicators is directly related to the recovery of the budget and operational capacity of the Brazilian Institute of Environment and Renewable Natural Resources (Ibama) and the Chico Mendes Institute for Biodiversity Conservation (ICMBio). The financial and structural reinforcement allowed for the expansion of inspectors' activities and an increase in the number of penalties applied.
According to the federal government's understanding, the combination of a greater presence of public authorities, intensified operations, and the effective application of sanctions has a deterrent effect, reducing the recurrence of environmental crimes and contributing to the containment of irregularities in the Amazon biome.
