Pantanal is leading the destruction of native vegetation by fire in August

2024-09-06 21:49:00

In August of this year, the Pantanal stood out as the Brazilian biome most affected by fires in native vegetation, according to Inpe (National Institute for Space Research). Monitoring data shows that 89% of fire outbreaks in the Pantanal have occurred in areas with native vegetation and less than 1% in areas where the vegetation has been recently removed. Between August 1st and August 31st, 4,111 fires were identified in the Pantanal, with the majority concentrated in the state of Mato Grosso do Sul, which recorded 2,819 fires (63.9% of the total). Mato Grosso, another Pantanal state, recorded 1,592 outbreaks, which is 36.1% of the total. Compared to the same period in 2023, the increase is significant: last year only 110 fires were recorded in the biome, of which 71 were in Mato Grosso do Sul The survey also showed that the Pantanal is not alone in the environmental crisis this. The Cerrado, another important Brazilian biome, recorded 67% of its fire in areas of primary vegetation. In turn, 53% of fires in the Amazon occurred in its primary forests, which shows an alarming situation in which the most conserved areas are being destroyed. Impacts on other biomes – Although the Amazon and the Cerrado have historically associated the use of fire with the last stage of deforestation, recent data from Inpe shows that most of the recorded fires have also reached areas of native vegetation, and not recently deforested regions. In the Cerrado, only 3% of the fires occurred in areas where vegetation had been recently removed, while in the Amazon this percentage was 13%. WWF-Brazil Director of Strategy, Mariana Napolitano, says the fire situation supports the federal government’s concern that fires are being used as a tool to facilitate deforestation and forest degradation. “The number of hotspots recorded in the Amazon in August was unevenly distributed, with more than half of them concentrated in areas with primary native vegetation”, explains Mariana. The expert also warns of the immediate danger that the Amazon is approaching a point of no return, a critical limit which, according to science, could transform the tropical forest into an arid and degraded ecosystem. “This destruction represents a huge risk, not only for Brazil, but for the whole world. The Amazon is essential for the rainfall regime in South America and for controlling the global climate”, he emphasizes. Get the main news from the State through WhatsApp. Click here to access the Campo Grande News channel and follow our social media.
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