2024 was a black year for Brazil, marked by a devastating wave of fires that reduced over 30.8 million hectares of vegetation to ashan area equal to the surface of Italy. A piece of data that represents a 79% increase compared to 2023 and the highest value recorded since 2019, when former president Jair Bolsonarowith its pro-agribusiness policies, was in power.
According to MapBiomas data, 140,328 fires were recordedthe highest number in 17 years and a 42% increase from the previous year.
The Amazon, the green heart of the planet and a treasure chest of biodiversity, was the most affected region, with 17.9 million hectares burned, 58% of the total. A fact that worries scientists, considering the crucial role of the Amazon forest in regulating the global climate. “It was an absurd increase,” said Ane Alencar, coordinator of MapBiomas, an initiative that monitors Brazil’s biomes. “Once a forest is hit by fire, it takes years and years to recover… If there is another drought and that forest is not protected, it will burn again“. And precisely in the Amazon, for the first time, fires have destroyed more hectares of forest (8.5 million) than of prairies, an alarming fact that is linked to deforestation.
Fires in the Amazon: How could it be damaged?
As the recent fires in Los Angeles spread across the globe, the reality of a changing planet can never be ignored. A member of SPA, Ane Alencar (IPAM), reports on the fire crisis in Brazil in… pic.twitter.com/q0dfP5Xq3f
— Science Panel for the Amazon (@theamazonwewant) January 16, 2025
The causes of this environmental tragedy are multiple. The severe drought that hit Brazil in 2023 and 2024the worst since records began in 1950, aggravated by the El Niño climate phenomenoncreated ideal conditions for the spread of fires. But the main responsibility falls on man.
As Alencar pointed out, “that’s only part of the equation. The other concerns human activity”. Farmers and ranchers, often with the aim of illegally expanding their lands, they use fire to deforest and clear pastures. In September 2024, at the height of the crisis, some fires were suspected to have been set intentionally as a form of “climate terrorism” against government efforts to combat deforestation and illegal mining. Federal police opened 119 investigations into alleged arson in 2024 alone, an increase from the average of 70 in previous years.
Despite President Lula’s commitment to fighting deforestation, which led to a reduction of more than 30% between August 2023 and August 2024 according to INPE, fires continue to pose a serious threat. “There have also been cases where fires simply started in the middle of a forest, which suggests possible criminal activity“Alencar said.
The consequences of this devastation are dramatic, not only for Brazil. The Amazon, with its ability to absorb CO2 from the atmosphere, plays a fundamental role in mitigating climate change. The destruction of millions of hectares of forest compromises this function, contributing to rising global temperatures and extreme climate events.
Furthermore, fires have a devastating impact on biodiversity, putting the survival of countless animal and plant species at risk. Habitat loss, air pollution, with cities like Sao Paulo that have recorded pollution levels among the worst in the world due to the smoke from the fires, and the scarcity of water resources are just some of the direct consequences of the fires, which threaten the balance of ecosystems and the life of local communities. The Amazon River, the world’s largest river, has hit historic lows due to drought, bringing river transportation and water supplies to many communities to their knees.
Brazil is facing a crucial challenge: protecting its natural heritage and countering illegal activities that put the Amazon and the future of the planet at risk. Attention now turns to COP30the United Nations conference on climate change which will be held in Belém, Amazon, in November. Brazil, host of the event, will find itself under the spotlight of the international community and will have to demonstrate that it has an effective strategy to deal with the fire crisis and protect its precious natural heritage.
It remains to be seen whether the measures implemented by the Lula government will be sufficient to reverse the trend and guarantee a future for the Amazon.
