The period between the months of May and September is considered critical in the Amazon biome due to the dry season, which, combined with the dry weather, ends up facilitating fires. In addition to this, it is worth noting that a large portion of the fires are the result of criminal actions.
Institutions warn that fires are expected to cause even more damage to the Amazon this year. According to an estimate by the Amazon Environmental Research Institute (IPAM), by the end of July, up to 9,000 square kilometers of the Amazon in the country could be burned.
The National Institute for Space Research (INPE) noted that 5,655 fire outbreaks were recorded in the Amazon between January and early June 2020. The Institute also notes that the fires are expected to increase precisely in the coming months, when the dry season is most severe.
Public health impacts
In addition to environmental degradation, wildfires can even trigger consequences for public health. Smoke and pollution intensely affect people with respiratory problems, and the visits of these patients to hospitals can further complicate the healthcare system, which is focused on caring for Covid-19 victims.
According to the Scientific Commission on Environmental and Occupational Diseases of the Brazilian Thoracic Association (SBPT), symptoms of smoke inhalation from wildfires include throat irritation, coughing, fatigue, shortness of breath, hoarseness, and a dry mouth. Some of these symptoms are similar to those of Covid-19, which could confuse the diagnosis at first.
According to research institutions, communities are affected by fire because of so-called “particulate matter,” which is a toxic residue generated by burning. These elements can even reach distant cities because of the wind.
According to a Fiocruz study coordinated by the Scientific and Technological Communication and Information Institute in Health (ICICT), the number of children hospitalized with respiratory problems doubled in areas affected by fires in the Amazon. Last year, between May and June, there were 2.5 thousand more hospital admissions compared to the period without fires.
With the fires on the verge of becoming a public calamity, governmental and private entities need to intensify efforts to combat this disturbance. One of the entities that promote the integration and cooperation of Amazonian entities is PanAmazônia. The organization brings together individuals, institutions, and companies operating in the Amazon and is headquartered in Manaus.
Gilvan Guidin, CFO of the fintech UzziPay and member of the PanAmazônia Association, points out that respect for the environment must be a pillar of businesses of all types and states that the Amazon needs to be at the center of everyone's attention.
“Keeping this biome and the others protected and conserved is preserving life itself. Because of this understanding, all our work needs to aim at respecting the environment as a continuous and constant project,” he defends.
The eco-friendly fintech UzziPay, which aims to conserve one Amazon tree for every new customer, has a 700-hectare legal reserve area in Porto Velho, Rondônia. And, according to Márcio Barnabé, the company's Chief Marketing Officer, during this dry season, the conservation area is on maximum alert for wildfires.
Alternatives to combat wildfires
According to experts, the conservation of green areas and the fight against wildfires need to be treated as an ongoing project.
A study commissioned by UzziPay for the implementation of the company's legal reserve conservation project highlights that it is possible to shield these areas against potential invasions that always begin from the edges toward the center, protecting them from the susceptibilities of the edge effect, that is, the risk of fire.
However, for this to happen, it is necessary to have control, prepare trails, identify plant species with tags, and take other precautions. This protection is essential to shield the site against invasions, vandalism, and other attacks.
Conservation projects can be carried out through a Cooperation Agreement with a Private Area. In such cases, among the responsibilities of the company that will finance the costs of protecting the area are the periodic collection of images of the site, ensuring the transparency of the proposal, and hiring an independent auditing inspection.
“To carry out the conservation, the UzziPay project provides for the protection of the area against vandalism, illegal exploitation, degradation, and criminal fires. The monitoring of the legal reserve is done on the ground, by drone or manned flights over the site, and through satellite imagery, explains Márcio.
SOURCE:
EARTH
