The Amazon rainforest is facing a severe environmental crisis, with fires reaching their highest September levels in nearly 15 years. According to preliminary data from the Brazilian government, satellite detections identified 41,463 fire hotspots in the Amazon during September, marking the highest count since 2010. This alarming trend, driven by severe drought and climate change, underscores the escalating severity of the situation.
The first nine months of 2023 have seen the worst fires in the Amazon since 2007, with a total of 62,268 square kilometers burned. The drought, exacerbated by climate change, has left large swathes of the Amazon basin dry, with extremely low water levels visible from the air.
Fires in the Amazon are not natural occurrences. They are deliberately set by people to clear land for farming or ranching. However, experts warn that many of these fires are set by criminals who have no intention of farming themselves. Instead, they seek to claim the land to sell it for a profit later.
Andre Guimaraes, an executive director at the Amazon Environmental Research Institute (Imazon), stated, “People are taking advantage of the fact that the forests are more flammable now, to burn them down, and then grab the land later on.”
Brazilian President Luiz Inacio Lula da Silva has condemned the fires as “criminal,” and the federal police have announced an expansion of their efforts to combat environmental crimes in the Amazon.
The fires typically peak in August and September during the driest period in the Amazon. However, with the arrival of the rainy season in the coming weeks, there is hope for some improvement in the situation.
The Amazon rainforest is a vital resource for the planet, playing a crucial role in regulating climate and biodiversity. The escalating fires and deforestation pose a grave threat to the future of this critical ecosystem. As the world prepares for the United Nations COP30 climate change summit in Brazil next year, the urgent need to address climate change and protect the Amazon rainforest becomes increasingly evident.
