Brazil Fights Against Historic Wildfires and Drought

In the midst of the worst drought in history, Brazil is currently battling widespread wildfires that have dispersed smoke clouds across vast areas of the country. The Amazon region, which hosts about two-thirds of the world's largest rainforest, recorded the highest number of fires in August since 14 years ago, according to the national space agency, Inpe. Other affected biomes include the massive tropical savanna Cerrado in the country's center and the Pantanal wetlands in the south. According to the Global Wildfire Information System (GWIS), a joint initiative by Copernicus and NASA, an estimated 34.5 million hectares of land have burned in Brazil this year—an area roughly the size of Germany and more than double the average from 2012 to 2023. The combination of extreme temperatures over 40 degrees Celsius and a prolonged dry period has turned sensitive ecosystems into virtual powder kegs. However, authorities attribute many cases to human activities, including "slash-and-burn" agriculture and illegal clearings. Despite a reduction in Amazon deforestation under President Luiz Inácio Lula da Silva, decades of destruction have contributed to the current drought and fires. This was explained by geologist and climatologist Pedro Cortes from the University of São Paulo. Reducing the supply of water in the atmosphere through so-called "flying rivers" has decreased rainfall. Scientists agree that climate change continues to exacerbate meteorological phenomena in Brazil. This point was emphasized by Izabella Teixeira, biologist and former Minister of the Environment of Brazil, who anticipates even more extreme weather events in the future. While the drought affects almost 60 percent of the country, experts like Ana Paula Cunha from the National Center of Natural Disaster Monitoring and Alerts (Cemaden) hope for rain in the central-southern part of the country starting next week. Nevertheless, many states are expected to experience below-average rainfall in the coming three months. Historically low water levels in the Amazon basin are disrupting the supply to remote communities, and critical agricultural products like coffee and oranges have also suffered. Energy authorities have already raised electricity prices due to declining reservoir levels of hydroelectric plants. The fires also have health impacts: dangerous fine particulate matter has blanketed both rural and urban areas. According to calculations by the Financial Times based on data from the Copernicus Atmosphere Monitoring Service, about 33 percent of the national territory was affected by smoke, with approximately 11 percent of the country exposed to heavy smoke pollution. In São Paulo, the worst air quality among 120 major cities worldwide was recorded, and the western Amazon region was the most polluted area in the world last month. Copernicus scientist Mark Parrington reported that some regions, including Bolivia, Amazonas, and Mato Grosso do Sul, recorded their highest annual emissions totals in the past 22 years. This year's fires in South America have released 72 percent more carbon dioxide than the average from 2012 to 2023, according to GWIS. Marcio Astrini from the Climate Observatory now calls for stronger measures to combat environmental crime in Brazil, particularly when connected to fires and deforestation.