[99][170] The Trump administration did not approve of the measure as the funding set certain requirements on its use. Maybe many of our leaders will be killed, but we are organized. Source: Brazil’s National Institute for Space Research. [140] Multiple NGOs assert that deforestation rates in Bolivia increased 200 percent after the government quadrupled available land for deforestation to small farmers in 2015. [76] INPE reported that in the period from January 1 to August 29, across South America, and not exclusive to the Amazon rainforest, there were 84,957 fires in Brazil, 26,573 in Venezuela, 19,265 in Bolivia, 14,363 in Colombia, 14,969 in Argentina, 10,810 in Paraguay, 6,534 in Peru, 2,935 in Chile, 898 in Guyana, 407 in Uruguay, 328 in Ecuador, 162 in Suriname, and 11 in French Guiana. The ‘Lungs of the Earth’ are on fire. [173] Representatives from seven countries attended: Brazil, Colombia, Peru, Ecuador, Bolivia, Guyana and Suriname. [40], Deforestation within Brazil is partially driven by growing demand for beef and soy exports, particularly to China and Hong Kong. There are 670 million ha (1.7 billion acres; 6.7 million km2; 2.6 million sq mi) of Amazon rainforest.
Wildfires have increased as the agricultural sector has pushed into the Amazon basin and spurred deforestation. Former Correspondent, Geospatial Media & Communications. [75], By August 29, 80,000 fires had broken out in Brazil which represents a 77% rise on the same period in 2018, according to BBC. [184] Khloé Kardashian urged her 98 million Instagram followers to adopt a plant-based diet for the same reason. Map brings Social Progress Index data for the 772 municipalities of the Brazilian Amazon, raised by the NGO Imazon “Fires are not a natural phenomenon in these forests,” said Mark Cochrane, an expert on wildfire and ecology at the University of Maryland.


[154], Peru had nearly twice the growth in the number of fires in 2019 than Brazil, with most believed to be illegally set by ranchers, miners, and coca growers. The rate of deforestation was the "worst in more than a decade" with 970,000 hectares (2,400,000 acres) lost. Is was first authorized in 2001 during the government of Hugo Banzer Suarez. One early effort was the Amazon Deforestation Satellite Monitoring Project (PRODES), which is a highly detailed satellite imagery-based approach to calculate wildfires and deforestation losses on an annual basis. Among these include the Real-Time Deforestation Detection System (DETER) satellite alert system, allowing them to capture incidents of wildfires in 15-day cycles. "[28], On September 10, 2019, the US House Foreign Affairs Committee held a hearing in Washington, DC entitled "Preserving the Amazon: A Shared Moral Imperative". [79], In the months prior to August 2019, Bolsonaro mocked international and environmental groups that felt his pro-business actions enabled deforestation. "[122], Discussion about the fires came into the final negotiations of the EU–Mercosur Free Trade Agreement between the EU and Mercosur, a trade bloc of Argentina, Brazil, Uruguay, and Paraguay. [129], Bolivia has 7.7 percent of the Amazon rainforest within its borders. More measures taken by the Brazilian government of Jair Bolsonaro to stop the fires include: In regards to the displacement of the indigenous people, Amnesty International has highlighted the change in protection of lands belonging to the indigenous people, and have called on other nations to pressure Brazil to restore these rights, as they are also essential to protecting the rainforest. Stop Eating Meat", Food and Agriculture Organization of the United Nations, "Causes of Deforestation of the Brazilian Amazon. [4] In addition to the impact on global climate, the fires created environmental concerns from the excess carbon dioxide and carbon monoxide within the fires' emissions, potential impacts on the biodiversity of the Amazon, and threats to indigenous tribes that live within the forest. [181][182], On August 26, 2019, Europe's richest man, Bernard Arnault, declared that his LVMH group will donate $11 million to aid in the fight against the Amazon rainforest wildfires. The agency released the images Monday, reminding the world that the Amazon fires aren’t just an environmental issue—but a public health issue, as well. [48] Brazil also invested in more effective measures to fight fires, including fire-fighting airplanes in 2012. [140] Throughout August, wildfires have been spreading across four states. Satellite images like the one below show smoke plumes from fires emanating from agricultural areas. [58], Jair Bolsonaro was elected as President of Brazil in October 2018 and took office in January 2019, after which he and his ministries changed governmental policies to weaken protection of the rainforest and make it favorable for farmers to continue practices of slash-and-burn clearing,[22] thus accelerating the deforestation from previous years. “Most of this is land use that have replaced rain forest,” said Matthew Hansen, who is a co-leader of the Global Land Analysis and Discovery laboratory at the University of Maryland. Endemic species, like Milton's titi and Mura's saddleback tamarin, are believed to be beset by the fires. var h=d.getElementsByTagName('script')[0];h.parentNode.insertBefore(s,h); By August 26, 2019, NASA included more recent MODIS imagery to confirm that the number of fires were higher than in previous years.

[139], On August 25, 4,000 state employees and volunteers were fighting the fires. [72][73][72][74] NASA later clarified that the data set they had evaluated previous was through August 16, 2019. In 2004, the Brazilian government had established the Federal Action Plan for Prevention and Control of Deforestation in the Amazon (PPCDAM), with the goal to reduce the rate of deforestation through land use regulation, environmental monitoring, and sustainable activities, promoted through partnerships at the federal and private level, and legal penalties for violations. Scientists studying satellite image data from the fires in the Amazon rain forest said that most of the fires are burning on agricultural land where the forest had already been cleared.

[80], According to Vox, of all the concurrent wildfires elsewhere in the world, the wildfires in the Amazon rainforest in Brazil were the most "alarming". [33] Upon entering office, Bolsonaro cut US$23 million from Brazil's environmental enforcement agency, making it difficult for the agency to regulate deforestation efforts. Brazil's Bolsonaro says hands off", "Amazon rainforest fires: Macron calls for 'international crisis' to lead G7 discussions", "Merkel backs Macron's call for G7 talks on Amazon fires", "General Villas Bôas vê 'ameaça militar' em falas de Macron sobre Amazônia", "Brazil's Bolsonaro on the Environment, in His Own Words", "Brazil Plans to Mobilize the Military to Fight Fires in the Amazon", "Brazil Military Mobilizes to Fight Amazon Fires, and Restore 'Positive Perception, "Forças Armadas enviam aviões e 43 mil militares para a Amazônia", "Governo desbloqueia R$ 38,5 milhões para combate a incêndios", "Warplanes dump water on Amazon as Brazil military begins fighting fires", "Secretário-geral da ONU diz estar preocupado com incêndios na Amazônia", "Grupo usou whatsapp para convocar "dia do fogo" no Pará", "PF investigará se houve convocação para queimadas no Pará em 'dia do fogo, Leonardo DiCaprio responds after Brazil's President blames actor for Amazon forest fires, "Brazil Announces 60-Day Ban on Clearing Land With Fire", "Bolsonaro bans land-clearing fires in Amazon for 60 days", "Amazon wildfires part of 'genocide' facing Brazil's Indigenous peoples, advocate says", "Near the Amazon fires, residents are sick, worried, and angry", "Brazilian protesters rail against Bolsonaro as Amazon fires rage on", "SOS From Brazil's Amazon Fire Protesters: 'We Need The World's Help Right Now, "Protesters besiege Brazilian embassies worldwide over Amazon fires", "The Land Battle Behind the Fires in the Amazon", "Brazil's indigenous people swear to fight for Amazon 'to last drop of blood, "Brazil's New President Is Bulldozing the Amazon Rainforest and Indigenous Rights", "Amazon fires: France and Ireland threaten to block EU trade deal", BFMTV - Incendies en Amazonie: Bolsonaro accuse Macron d'avoir une "mentalité colonialiste", l'Elysée répond - 23/08/2019, French Minister for Overseas Answer to Jair Bolsonaro, Le Monde - Emmanuel Macron assure le chef amazonien Raoni du soutien de la France - 16/5/2019, "Amazon rainforest fires: Ten readers' questions answered", "Destructive Amazon Fires Do Not Threaten Earth's Oxygen, Expert Says", "Ireland, France set to block EU-Mercosur trade deal over Amazon", "Finland urges EU to consider banning Brazilian beef over Amazon fires", "Preserving the Amazon: A Shared Moral Imperative", United States House Committee on Foreign Affairs.