770,000 hectares of Pantanal wetlands were devastated
3,380 forest fires broke out in 17 days in November
The fire brigade, which almost extinguished a large forest fire that broke out in Brazil’s largest Pantanal wetlands earlier this month, posted on Facebook on November 7, “Thank goodness for everyone living in this area that the forest fire is over,” but it ended up being posted too hastily and early. .
As November enters its second week, unusually dry conditions and heat waves caused by El Niño have extended the fire season, with nearly 770,000 hectares of rainforest in the region burned to the ground, according to estimates by the Federal University of Rio de Janeiro.
The damage from these forest fires accounts for 65% of the total damage from forest fires in Brazil this year.
Brazil’s federal agency, the National Institute for Space Research, announced that there were 3,380 forest fires in the Pantanal as of November 17, an explosive increase compared to 69 in the same period a year ago. That number is significantly higher than the all-time record for the 1998 wildfire season.
The Pantanal is home to more than 350,000 species of plants, including several endangered species, and 1,300 species of animals, including 159 species of mammals, including jaguars, and is said to be an area boasting the greatest biodiversity, according to the World Wildlife Fund (World Wildlife Fund). WWF) reveals.
They also absorb and store water during rain, so they not only naturally control floods but also act as freshwater reservoirs. It is an area that plays an important role in supplying water to cities not only in Brazil but also in Bolivia and Paraguay.
However, every year during the rainy season, rivers overflow and flood, and many areas are inaccessible except by ship and plane. During the dry season, wildlife lovers from all over the world flock here to see jaguars playing on the riverbank and rare animals such as caiman crocodiles, macaws, and rabbit-like capybaras.
The deep green areas near the Encontro das Aguas National Park, on the border between the two states of Mato Grosso and Mato Grosso, have been turned to black earth due to forest fires.
The Associated Press reporting team was able to see a large jaguar licking its claws in the dirt on a riverbank where vegetation had burned down, but this area, known for its abundance of jaguars, also suffered heavy damage.
Park ranger Leonício da Silva (53) said, “If this continues every year, jaguars will disappear,” adding, “They might run away to big cities like humans to survive somehow. “Then the ecosystem here will be over,” he said.
Jaguars in this area live in a wide area of 1,000 square kilometers and are accustomed to visitors, so they have driven the region’s tourism industry for more than 15 years. Conservation of jaguars is essential not only for preserving the ecosystem but also for the livelihood of local people.
Hundreds of firefighters, soldiers and volunteer civil defense units are working day and night to extinguish the forest fires in this richly vegetated region, which are now threatening residential areas and tourist accommodation.
With no rain forecast in the near future, fighting fires is difficult.
Renata Libonati, a fire expert at the University of Rio, lamented that the wildfire season usually ends at the end of October as humidity rises and rain falls, but this year it has continued for an unusually long time.
This can be interpreted as the fact that dry and high temperatures continue due to the El Niño phenomenon, and another heat wave hit all of Brazil this week.
The Mato Grosso Dossu provincial government issued an emergency decree strengthening measures to extinguish the Pantanal fires and extended the ban on burning in the Pantanal region until the 30th of this month, but extinguishing the fire is almost impossible before heavy rain begins.
Neighboring Mato Grosso state is also working hard to extinguish the forest fire by deploying about 200 firefighters and investing $1.3 million (1,685.45 million won) in emergency funds.
In addition to the forest fire area, thick black smoke and soot covered nearby highways, causing the Federal Highway Police to close some local roads, and a small civil aircraft crashed, injuring four people.
In particular, firefighters said they were having great difficulties in extinguishing the fire and rescuing the fire due to poor visibility due to thick smoke.
[포코네( 브라질)= AP/뉴시스]
Source: Donga
Mark Jones is a world traveler and journalist for News Rebeat. With a curious mind and a love of adventure, Mark brings a unique perspective to the latest global events and provides in-depth and thought-provoking coverage of the world at large.