SAO PAULO.- Brazil faces an unprecedented crisis amid the worst drought on record, with thousands of fires continuing to ravage the country and affecting major cities such as São Paulo and Rio de Janeiro, as well as neighboring countries.
President Luiz Inácio Lula da Silva provided an update on the situation on his Bluesky account, noting that “the federal government, together with state and municipal governments, is intensifying efforts to control the fires affecting the entire country.”
According to the National Institute for Space Research (INPE), the number of fires in the first twelve days of September reached 49,266, surpassing the 46,486 recorded in the same period last year. As of midnight Thursday, Brazil accounted for 60.7% of the fires that occurred in South America during September.
The fires affected ecologically vital areas, including the Amazon, the Cerrado biome and the Pantanal, an area of great biodiversity in the south of the country. According to Mark Parrington, a scientist at the European observatory Copernicus, Brazil emitted approximately four megatonnes of carbon dioxide in September. Globally, between 10 and 15 megatonnes of CO have been released due to fires.
Parrington noted that the scale and intensity of the fires in Brazil reflect the severe impact of the crisis, especially during the height of the fire season. Smoke from the fires also spread to neighbouring countries such as Uruguay and Argentina.
Historic drought
Most of the fires are criminally motivated and linked to agricultural activities, according to authorities. In response to the emergency, Lula da Silva urged the population to report those responsible. His administration has created a special team that will increase sanctions against those who cause fires that damage the environment.
The spread of the fires is aggravated by a historic drought linked to climate change and low humidity. The National Institute of Meteorology has issued a “danger” alert for the southeast, where São Paulo and Rio de Janeiro are located, and for the center of the country, due to extremely low humidity levels, between 12% and 20%.
Captain Roberto Farina of São Paulo Civil Defense explained the difficulties of controlling fires in these conditions: “Although it seems that the fire has gone out overnight, the embers continue to burn imperceptibly. The next day, the heat rekindles the fire, further complicating control efforts.”
