Brazil's worst drought on record is exacerbating a dire wildfire situation in the Amazon rainforest. The country's government enlisted the help of 3,000 firefighters to put out the blazes at one point, as the Guardian reported.
What's happening?
According to the country's National Center for Monitoring and Early Warning of Natural Disasters, Brazil is enduring its most "intense and widespread" drought on record, as Reuters reported. The drought has helped fuel an intense wildfire season in the Amazon this year.
The Guardian detailed that smoke from fires in Brazil lowered the air quality in São Paulo and Brasília, grounding flights and shutting down schools.
As Greenpeace shared, the Fire Monitoring Program of Brazil's National Institute for Space Research (INPE) reported more than 38,000 fire outbreaks in the Amazon during August, a 120% increase compared to the same period last year.
It has been a difficult year for the Pantanal, a region that encompasses the world's largest tropical wetland area. It experienced a 3,901% increase in its fires compared to August of 2023, Greenpeace noted, based on INPE reporting.
"We have seen a worsening of climate change," said Marina Silva, Brazil's Minister of the Environment and Climate Change, per the Guardian. "We had a period of El Niño, changes in the temperature of different regions, warming of the oceans — a series of issues that are aggravating the problems."
Why are fires in Brazil important?
July was the 14th consecutive month with record-high temperatures for our overheating planet. Our warming world is creating conditions more conducive to wildfires. Scientists indicate that changes in our climate create warmer, drier conditions that raise the risk for more active and longer-lasting wildfire seasons, as the Environmental Protection Agency indicated.
A study shared in the Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences journal found that "drought occurrences are becoming more prevalent across the Amazon, with known negative effects on forest health and functioning."
Researchers have said that parts of the Amazon rainforest are becoming more susceptible to the wildfires it experiences as our world warms, as a New York Times story noted.
This has been an especially tough year for wildfires in North America, too. Through mid-September, Canada has seen more than 5,000 fires this year, burning over 13 million acres. During the same period, the United States has seen almost 37,000 wildfires that have charred more than 7 million acres.
What's being done about the rising risk of wildfires?
Brazil's president, Lula da Silva, signed a pact with the governors of the Amazon and Pantanal regions to prevent and control fires.
The pact and associated initiatives include suspending burning authorizations during the country's dry season and when heat waves are expected. The country's government is also creating a national registry of its forest brigades.
It is crucial to reduce the heat-trapping gases warming our world. Avoiding dirty energy sources and embracing clean, renewable energy options will help.
Choosing an electric vehicle for your next vehicle purchase, signing up for a community solar program, and donating directly to climate-related organizations can all make an impact.
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