Jair Bolsonaro promoted mining in indigenous lands in the Amazon and forest clearances soared at the same time as resources to protect the forest were cut.

During Bolsonaro's presidency from 2019 to 2022, the Amazon lost nearly 60% more in forest lands compared to the previous four years, news agency AFP reported, citing official data.

Lula reversed his policies and oversaw deforestation rates drop to a six-year low during his first year in office. Lula tightened up environmental monitoring and penalties for illegal logging.

"Our goal is to achieve zero illegal deforestation by 2030," he said in a post on X on Friday.

Tropical rainforests like the Amazon are home to millions of species. In a healthy state, they absorb vast quantities of planet-warming carbon dioxide, helping to keep the Earth cool.

But they have come under increasing pressure from decades of deliberate land clearance for agriculture and logging, as well as climate change, which scientists warn can create conditions for wildfires.

Brazil's Environment Minister Joao Paulo Capobianco described the decline in Amazon deforestation as "absolutely stratospheric".

It was an "historic achievement" for Brazil, said Marcio Astrini, executive secretary at climate advocacy group Observatorio do Clima.

It showed that "with political will, it is possible to curb deforestation and greenhouse gas emissions", Astrini said.