More than 10,000 fires have raged in Peru this year, doubling the previous record set in 2020. The fires have devastated the South American country's wildlife and ecosystems.
What's happening?
Peru's president, Dina Boluarte, declared a state of emergency for three regions of her country in September as fires ravaged its Amazonian and Andean areas. Some of the hardest-hit regions included Amazonas, San Martin, and Ucayali.
Fires this year have killed at least 15 people and burned nearly 12 square miles of natural areas and cultivated land in Peru.
Some of the native spectacled bears that tried to find safety in nearby towns were shot by startled Peru residents in the northern part of the country, according to Reuters. Jaguars who couldn't escape the flames in the southern Amazon were found charred on trees.
Fires in South America are threatening endangered species and disrupting ecosystems for the spectacled bear, Ecuadorian vizcacha, and the woolly monkey.
"There's nothing in Peru, that's the problem, there's no help," Spectacled Bear Conservation (SBC) founder Robyn Appleton told Reuters. The SBC is a nonprofit organization dedicated to safeguarding spectacled bears in the dry forests of northern Peru.
Why are wildfires in Peru important?
Our overheating planet and poor farming practices have helped to fan the flames of the growing wildfire problem in Peru and other parts of South America. By the middle of September, Brazil's space research agency had already shown a record number of fire hotspots this year, breaking previous records set in 2007. More than 346,000 fire hotspots have been detected across the continent through the first nine months of 2024, per Fire & Safety Journal Americas.
Climate scientists say our warming world is the main driver of exceptional drought in the Amazon River Basin, making the region more vulnerable to wildfires. According to a United Nations Environment Programme report, the Amazon is enduring its worst drought in at least 45 years.
"Since May, blazes have ravaged forests and savannahs across Argentina, Bolivia, Brazil, Colombia, Paraguay and Peru as drought has created tinderbox-like conditions in many places," notes the report. "Even the world's largest tropical wetland, the wildlife-rich Pantanal, has been smoldering for months."
What's being done about the rising risk of wildfires?
The non-profit organization Nature and Culture International, whose mission is to work "side-by-side with local cultures to protect biodiverse hotspots in Latin America for the well-being of our planet," has deployed team members in the Bolivian Chaco and the Páramo in Peru and Ecuador. They are working with the local communities to help develop wildfire prevention and response skills.
Cutting emissions of carbon pollution and other heat-trapping gases is crucial. Using our voices to spread the word about climate issues and using our power to vote for pro-climate candidates are ways to help.
Join our free newsletter for good news and useful tips, and don't miss this cool list of easy ways to help yourself while helping the planet.
Cool Picks
