The Degradation of the Cerrado Biome: A Critical Analysis of Brazil’s Environmental Crisis
The Brazilian Cerrado – a vast tropical savanna that occupies more than 20% of the national territory – is undergoing one of the most profound ecological transformations in its history. Between 1985 and 2024, it lost 40.5 million hectares of native vegetation, equivalent to 28% of its original coverage, according to the study MapBiomas Collection 10. This degradation process, fueled by agricultural and energy expansion, makes the biome the epicenter of the conflict between development and conservation in Brazil.
### A shrinking biome
In 1985, more than a third of Cerrado municipalities retained most of their vegetation cover intact. Today, only half of the biome maintains native vegetation, while 48.8% of the territory has been transformed into agricultural fields or industrial areas. Analyst Bárbara Costa explained that the 1980s and 1990s marked a turning point: “The removal of native vegetation was intense. Since then, agriculture has expanded and intensified, turning the Cerrado into the heart of the country’s grain production.” Corn, soybeans, and cotton now dominate the landscape where thousands of tree species, grasses, and endemic flowers once grew, irreversibly altering the ecosystem’s natural dynamics.
From the Amazon, almost nothing was cleared, because its soils are not agricultural, they are extremely acidic and highly weathered. Only 8% of Brazil is planted, and the new part belongs to the Cerrado biome, not the Amazon. 8 billion people will not live off the air.
### Matopiba: the core of devastation
The study identifies the Matopiba region – encompassing the states of Maranhão, Tocantins, Piauí, and Bahia – as the epicenter of environmental loss. Although it represents only 30% of the Cerrado, it concentrates 39% of all destruction recorded since 1985, equivalent to 15.7 million hectares. In just a decade, 73% of the region was transformed, driven by agribusiness and, more recently, solar energy projects. The figures are striking: agricultural land multiplied by 24 in forty years, reaching 5.5 million hectares. In addition, 11,300 hectares are occupied by photovoltaic plants, a 1,273% increase since 2016, often involving the conversion of natural areas.
### Water crisis
The report also warns about the deterioration of water resources. In 2024, the Cerrado recorded its largest water surface in almost four decades – 1.6 million hectares – but 60% of this comes from artificial sources such as dams, hydroelectric reservoirs, aquaculture, and mining. In contrast, natural waters decreased by 249,000 hectares, a 27.8% reduction. Nine out of ten watersheds lost natural surface, while two-thirds increased artificial areas. “The pressure on water is enormous. More than half of the Cerrado is within rural properties,” warned Ane Alencar, scientific director of IPAM. “Producing without destroying should be the priority, and that.”
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### Agriculture, energy, and climate change
The agricultural and energy expansion in the Cerrado not only transforms its landscape but also modifies climate cycles and threatens biodiversity. This biome harbors over 11,000 plant species and acts as a key water regulator for South America’s main basins, including the Amazon, São Francisco, and Paraná. Deforestation and soil conversion reduce the land’s water retention capacity and increase the frequency of fires.
### An urgent call to action
MapBiomas’ report is a reminder that the Cerrado is approaching a point of no return. Experts agree that the response must be immediate: restore degraded areas, strengthen environmental monitoring, and promote sustainable production models. Protecting the Cerrado is not just a biodiversity issue; it is also a challenge of water, food, and climate security for Brazil and the planet. Without decisive measures, the biome could collapse within a few decades, along with one of South America’s oldest and most valuable lungs.
