The month of June saw 2.562 fires in the Amazon. It is the highest number of fires since 2007, when Inpe recorded 3.519 fires.
ADVERTISING
The explosion occurred despite the federal decree, published on the 23rd, which suspended the use of fire throughout the national territory for agricultural practices for 120 days. Although, as Greenpeace Brazil points out, fire is also used to consolidate the illegal occupation of land.
Fire outbreaks grew 17% in the Amazon in the first half of 2022, compared to the same period in the last two years, according to the bulletin.
In a technical note published on Thursday (30), the NGO WWF explains that in addition to the environmental devastation, there is a health risk. “During the fire season in the Brazilian Amazon, between July and October, approximately 120 people are hospitalized each year due to asthma, bronchitis and pneumonia problems,” says the text.
ADVERTISING
In addition to fires, the Amazon rainforest also suffers from deforestation. Data released last month by the Amazon Institute of Man and Environment (Imazon), show that in the first five months of 2022 the Legal Amazon recorded record deforestation, with the loss of 3.360 km² of green area.
Another biome that also suffered from the fires was the cerrado. 10.869 outbreaks were detected in the first half of the year alone. This is the highest number for the period since 2010.
Fire outbreaks by biome in 2022 and comparison with the first half of 2021:
ADVERTISING
- Amazon: 7.553 (+17%)
- Caatinga: 826 (-48%)
- Cerrado: 10.869 (+13%)
- Atlantic Forest: 2.533 (-32%)
- Pampa: 392 (-27%)
- Pantanal: 517 (+39%)
Curto curation
- Understand the relationship between the increase in deforestation and the policies of the Bolsonaro government (Uol Notícias).
- See why Brazil needs to reduce deforestation and fires (G1)
- Check out how the illegal sale of land in the Amazon works on Facebook (BBC News Brasil).
(Top photo: Reproduction/Wikimedia Commons/Amazônia real)
