Every year, the Pantanal, the largest wetland on the planet, faces a paradox: it transforms from a flooded plain into a tinderbox during the dry season. This year, the fires are the worst since 2020, with more than 7,200 fire outbreaks recorded in the first 20 days of June, a staggering 3,000% increase compared to the same period last year. According to the National Space Research Institute of Brazil (INPE), an area equivalent to 500,000 football fields has already turned into ashes.
The Pantanal, which spans parts of Brazil, Bolivia, and Paraguay, is home to the world's largest jaguar population. The fires have been particularly severe around Corumbá in Mato Grosso do Sul, where it hasn't rained for over 50 days. The city, a hub for ecotourism, has been engulfed by dense smoke, forcing the evacuation of dozens of students from a school on the banks of the Paraguay River. The river, crucial to the Pantanal, is three meters below its usual level for June, exacerbating the fire situation.
The drought and the low flow of the Paraguay River are major factors behind the fires. The National Water Agency declared a 'critical' situation in the hydrographic basin for the first time in history. The combination of climate change and the effects of El Niño has advanced the risk calendar, making the Pantanal increasingly vulnerable to fires.
Rodrigo Agostinho, president of Ibama, Brazil's environmental protection agency, stated that the situation is unprecedented: 'We never had a fire in the first half of the year in the Pantanal. In the first half of the year, the Pantanal was always under water.' In response, President Luiz Inácio Lula da Silva signed a pact for the prevention and control of fires with the governors of the Pantanal and Amazon states. However, the plan lacks a specific budget allocation.
The Lula Government's environmental policy faces economic constraints, with thousands of environmental officials stopping fieldwork to demand job improvements. This has impacted the monitoring of deforestation and subsequent fires. The persistence of fires threatens the Pantanal's ability to regenerate naturally, with flames devouring vegetation still recovering from previous fires.
Wetlands, which store a quarter of all soil carbon, are crucial for mitigating climate change. A recent study by the Environmental Justice Foundation (EFJ) highlighted that 35% of the world's natural wetlands disappeared between 1970 and 2015. Despite their importance, political measures to protect them are insufficient. Most fires in the Pantanal are caused by human activities, either intentionally or accidentally.
The Pantanal has shattered records for fire outbreaks even before the start of the dry season. As of June, 1,729 outbreaks have been identified, nearly four times more than the previous record for June 2005. From January 1 to June 20, the INPE recorded 2,628 outbreaks, an 1,818% increase from last year. Claudio Angelo of the Climate Observatory NGO emphasized the extreme weather events and the severe drought risks in the Pantanal, attributing these to El Niño and climate change.
Brazil has faced other climate disasters, including recent floods that killed over 170 people. Marina Silva, Brazil's Minister of the Environment, warned of severe droughts in the Pantanal, attributing these extreme events to the combination of El Niño and climate change. The need for urgent and effective political measures to protect the Pantanal and other wetlands is more critical than ever.
- The Pantanal is home to 40% of the world's animal and plant species, making it a biodiversity hotspot. The region's unique ecosystem attracts tourists from around the world, eager to see its diverse wildlife, including caimans, giant otters, and colorful birds.
- Despite the critical situation, the Brazilian government has only managed to temporarily hire 2,000 brigade members to combat the fires in both the Pantanal and the Amazon. This number is insufficient for an area larger than the European Union, highlighting the need for more resources and effective policies.
- Environmental organizations like the Environmental Justice Foundation (EFJ) are calling for stricter regulations to protect wetlands. They demand that the European Union include wetlands in regulations that prevent the import of products from illegal deforestation, as currently only forests are considered.
