FOREST FIRES SINGE AMAZON
There has been a surge in forest fires in the Amazon this year with activists blaming the Brazilian administration for rampant destruction of one of the greenest regions in the world
83% surge
National Institute for Space Research (INPE) said there have been nearly 73,000 fires in rainforests in Brazil till August this year, compared with
39,759 in all of last year Venezuela ranked second with 26,453 fires and Bolivia with 16,101 fires in Amazonian rainforests under their territory
FACTORS
Forest fires tend to intensify during the dry season, which usually ends in late October or early November, as land is cleared to make way for crops or grazing – similar to farm fires in India
This year’s fires, however, are also being attributed to deforestation – which has led to a lack of rain and, consequently, moisture in soil
The worst may yet to come. INPE has predicted that rainfall in the central and northern Amazon will be 40 to 50 percent below normal in the next three months
THE EFFECT
■ Images showed the northernmost state of Roraima covered in dark smoke
■ American agency NOAA released photos of smoke that could be seen from space
■ People on social media posted photos of Sao Paulo turning dark at 4pm on Tuesday
■ At least two Brazilian states have declared emergencies or environmental alerts
BRAZIL’S ‘NERO’
■ The surge in wildfires has occurred since Jair Bolsonaro took office in January as President, vowing to develop the Amazon region for farming and mining, ignoring international concern
■ Bolsonaro recently fired the director of INPE after he criticized agency statistics showing an increase in deforestation in Brazil, saying they were inaccurate
■ Norway on Thursday joined Germany in halting Amazon protection subsidies, accusing Brazil of turning its back on the fight against deforestation