Record Fires Devastate Brazil’s Pantanal Wetland Amid Heatwave

Record Fires Devastate Brazil's Pantanal Wetland Amid Heatwave/Reuters

Dil Bar Irshad | June 16, 2024 | 11:27 PM IST | Brazil, World | Follow on Google News

Record Fires Devastate Brazil’s Pantanal Wetland Amid Heatwave

Record Fires Devastate Brazil’s Pantanal Wetland Amid Heatwave

Key Highlights:

1. Brazil’s Pantanal faces record-breaking fires with 733 incidents in June 2024.
2. Mato Grosso do Sul under “danger” advisory due to impending heatwave.
3. WWF Brazil warns 2024 could be the worst year for fires in Pantanal’s history.

Record Fires Devastate Brazil’s Pantanal Wetland Amid Heatwave

Brazil’s Pantanal, the world’s largest tropical wetland, is experiencing an unprecedented surge in fires, breaking grim records for June, CNN reported. Aerial images show vast swathes of smoke and flames, while ground views reveal the charred aftermath.

Brazil’s National Institute of Space Research (INPE) has recorded 733 fires in the Pantanal biome in June alone, surpassing the previous record of 435 fires in June 2005. The state of Mato Grosso do Sul, which covers 60% of the Pantanal, is under a “danger” advisory due to an imminent heatwave expected to raise temperatures 5°C above average, as per Brazil’s National Meteorological Institute (INMET).

The World Wildlife Foundation (WWF) Brazil has issued a warning that 2024 might become the worst year on record for the Pantanal, with fires this year already up by 898% compared to the same period in 2023. Cynthia Santos, a conservation analyst for WWF Brazil, stressed the urgent need for action, stating, “It is necessary to act quickly reinforcing [fire] brigades and counting with the support of the local communities to avoid a catastrophe.”

The Pantanal’s ecological balance depends on the “flood pulse” – extensive flooding during the wet season (November to March) and receding waters in the dry months (April to September). This cyclical pattern supports a unique biome where vast areas shift between terrestrial and aquatic habitats.

Wetlands like the Pantanal are crucial carbon sinks, absorbing and storing carbon dioxide. Covering about 200,000 square kilometers, the Pantanal accounts for roughly 3% of the world’s wetlands and plays a vital role in the global carbon cycle. The fires release significant greenhouse gases, exacerbating global warming.

The Pantanal is known for its unparalleled biodiversity, even surpassing the Amazon. It hosts numerous endangered species, including jaguars, capybaras, black caimans, giant otters, and hyacinth macaws, and serves as a crucial stopover for around 180 migratory bird species.

The Pantanal currently faces a “hydrological crisis,” exacerbated by severe drought since 2023 and the ongoing El Nino phenomenon. While some plant species in the region are adapted to withstand natural wildfires, the scale of recent fires has had devastating impacts, destroying habitats and disrupting indigenous communities. The 2020 fires highlighted the profound environmental and social impacts of these infernos, CNN reported.

Dil Bar Irshad

Dil Bar Irshad is a seasoned journalist, hails from Jammu Kashmir's Doda, covers political, social, business stories, index stories.