In a statement released this week, WWF Brazil points out that August 2020 repeated the tragedy experienced in 2019, with a dramatic peak in the number of fire outbreaks. Of the 44,013 fire hotspots recorded cumulatively in 2020, 29,307 occurred between 1o and August 31—which accounts for 66.5% of the total—a figure very close to the 30,900 fires recorded during the 31 days of August 2019. According to figures from the National Institute for Space Research (INPE), the states with the highest number of detected fires in August in the Amazon biome were Pará (10,865), Amazonas (8,030), and Acre (3,578).
“The total number of fires from January through August in the Amazon is 39% higher than the average for the same period over the last ten years in the biome,” says Raul Valle, director of Socio-Environmental Justice at WWF-Brazil. In his view, despite the millions spent on the Army’s presence in the Amazon and the ban on the use of fire, this year’s figures remain well above the historical average.
The situation in the Pantanal is even more dire, with a 2,20% increase in the number of fire hotspots from January 1 to August 31. According to INPE, there were 10,153 hotspots, compared to 3,165 recorded during the same period in 2019. The only similarity with the neighboring Amazon region is that 58.4% of this total was recorded during the 31 days of August. In total, there were 5,935 hotspots, the vast majority (4,215) in the state of Mato Grosso, while Mato Grosso do Sul accounted for 1,720. The main reason cited for the record-breaking fires in the Pantanal is a severe drought, following a 2020 rainy season that was already marked by low rainfall.
“If these trends continue, there will be devastating long-term consequences due to the release of millions of extra tons of carbon dioxide, species loss, and the destruction of vital ecosystems. In addition, the fires bring a risk of severe health problems, as well as threatening local livelihoods, says Mariana Napolitano, WWF-Brazil's Science Manager.
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FIRE
