The Impact of the PPCDAm on Deforestation in The Legal Amazon of Brazil
Brazil launched the PPCDAm (Action Plan for Prevention and Control of Deforestation in the Legal Amazon) in 2004, a government policy that combined satellite monitoring, stricter law enforcement, and economic incentives to fight illegal deforestation.
Stacked bar chart showing annual deforestation in Brazil's Legal Amazon from 1988 to 2024, broken down by nine states: Pará, Mato Grosso, Rondônia, Amazonas, Maranhão, Acre, Roraima, Tocantins, and Amapá. Totals peaked at around 29,000 km² in 1995 and again at nearly 28,000 km² in 2004, before falling steadily to a low of roughly 4,600 km² in 2012 following the introduction of the PPCDAm policy. Pará and Mato Grosso consistently account for the largest shares throughout the period. Deforestation rises again from 2019 onward, reaching above 13,000 km² in 2021, then declining toward 6,000 km² by 2024.
