As reported by Rami Alhames for Global Voices, the Amazon rainforest, Pantanal wetlands, and Cerrado biomes in Brazil have been severely affected by wildfires in 2024.
According to data from the Global Wildfire Information System, as of mid-September, over 46 million hectares (113 million acres) had been burned—an area equivalent to 46 million football fields.
The Amazon experienced its worst wildfire season since 2005, with August 2024 alone accounting for nearly half of the fires this year.
São Paulo, Brazil’s largest city, experienced five consecutive days in September with the worst air quality among major cities worldwide.
Brasília also recorded a significant drought, with over 163 days without rain as of October 3.
Environmental organizations like WWF and Greenpeace believe that while drought contributes to the spread of fires, many are likely caused by human activity.
The Brazilian federal government has launched 85 police inquiries to investigate potential environmental crimes related to the fires.
A monitoring system led by MapBiomas revealed that 70% of the burned area in 2024 consisted of native vegetation.
The Rainforest Foundation noted that fire hotspots increased by 104% in the Brazilian Amazon between January and August 2024 compared to the same period in 2023.
According to Brazil’s National Institute for Space Research, there were over 65,000 fire hotspots by the end of August 2024, with over 38,000 recorded in August alone.
Brazil’s National Confederation of Municipalities (CNM) estimated that 11 million people were directly affected by the wildfires, with economic losses reaching 1.1 billion Brazilian reals (about 203 million US dollars).
The fires damaged both grassland and pasture areas, disrupting agriculture in key states such as Mato Grosso, Mato Grosso do Sul, Pará, Tocantins, Amazonas, and São Paulo.
Air quality in São Paulo worsened significantly due to high temperatures, low humidity, and smoke from the fires.
The city received a rating of 160 on the air quality index, which is considered unhealthy.
According to the Emergency Management Center, the Civil Defense of São Paulo extended its wildfire high-risk alert in early September as conditions deteriorated further.
The Brazilian government has taken steps to address the wildfire crisis.
In mid-September, President Luiz Inácio Lula da Silva announced the allocation of 514 million Brazilian reals (about 94 million US dollars) to combat fires and drought in the Amazon region.
The federal government has also increased penalties for those responsible for setting fires, including doubling fines for wildfires caused on Indigenous lands.
Marina da Silva, Brazil’s Minister for the Environment and Climate Change, described the current situation as a combination of extreme climate events and criminal activity.
She urged for stricter penalties to be enforced, calling the ongoing fires “climate terrorism.”
The 2024 wildfire season in Brazil has been devastating, with over 46 million hectares of land affected by fires in the Amazon, Pantanal, and Cerrado regions.
August alone saw nearly half of the year’s fires, and São Paulo recorded five consecutive days of the worst air quality among major global cities.
Environmental organizations suggest that human activity may be a primary cause of the fires, while the Brazilian government has initiated investigations into environmental crimes.
Economic losses are estimated at 1.1 billion Brazilian reals, and the government has allocated 94 million US dollars to combat the crisis.