Record number of forest fires in the Brazilian Amazon August 16, 2024

By AFP - Agence France Presse

Record number of forest fires in the Brazilian Amazon

Manaus, Brazil, August 16 (AFP) August 16, 2024

The Brazilian Amazon has recorded more than 37,000 forest fires so far this year, the worst number in nearly two decades, according to satellite data released on Wednesday.

The number was 111% higher than in the same period of 2023, said Brazil's National Institute for Space Research (INPE).

Since INPE began collecting data in 1998, more fires were recorded in the same period only in 2005, 2004, and 2003.

From January 1 to August 13, a total of 37,835 fires were recorded in the Brazilian Amazon this year.

The Amazon suffered a historic drought between June and November last year, which was conducive to fires that also affected the Pantanal, one of the world's largest tropical wetlands, which lies to the south of the rainforest.

Last week, the World Weather Attribution (WWA) said in a report that the hot, dry, and windy conditions that fueled the fires in the Pantanal were “40% more intense due to climate change”.

The latest data is difficult news for the government of President Luiz Inácio Lula da Silva, as the number of fires is increasing even though deforestation in the Amazon - which helps reduce global warming by absorbing carbon dioxide - is on the decline.

Lula has pledged to end illegal deforestation in the Amazon by 2030.

The practice had worsened dramatically during the government of his far-right predecessor, Jair Bolsonaro.

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