Amid widespread fires in Brazil’s Amazon and Pantanal biomes, the federal government has initiated efforts to concentrate firefighting in 21 municipalities that have accounted for more than 50 percent of the blazes.
As reported by The Brazilian Report, these municipalities are spread across Amazonas, Rondônia, Mato Grosso, Pará, and Roraima states, with many connected to the BR-230 federal road, commonly known as the Trans-Amazonian Highway.
The decision was made during a federal meeting involving representatives from nine states within the Amazon and Pantanal regions.
The meeting was attended by six cabinet ministers, including Marina Silva (Environment), Rui Costa (Chief of Staff), and Simone Tebet (Planning).
Silva expressed support for the collaborative efforts between federal and state entities, stating: “We already have the municipalities that deforest the most, now we are focusing on the ones with the most fire outbreaks.”
This year, Brazil’s National Space Research Institute has recorded nearly 45,000 fires in the Amazon, making 2024 potentially the worst year for forest fires in over 15 years.
Smoke from the blazes has spread across much of Brazil, reaching the country’s southernmost regions.
The concentration of fires has not been mirrored by a surge in deforestation.
However, a recent study published in PNAS found that forest degradation, which includes fires, selective logging, and road construction, has a more severe impact on carbon storage in the Amazon than conventional deforestation.
The study noted that degradation reduced carbon storage in the region five times more than traditional methods of deforestation.
Many of the municipalities targeted for firefighting are situated near the BR-230 Trans-Amazonian Highway, a key transportation route in northern Brazil.
Environmental experts have pointed out that major highways in this region often serve as vectors for deforestation, as they enable the transportation of timber and facilitate the development of agriculture and mining operations.
The link between infrastructure and environmental degradation has long been a point of concern for environmental agencies, which continue to monitor both the spread of fires and the broader impacts of deforestation across the Amazon and Pantanal regions.
During the meeting, Marina Silva emphasized the importance of ongoing cooperation between the federal government, state governments, and environmental agencies in tackling the fires.
She praised the efforts being made but acknowledged the scale of the challenge: “Now we are focusing on the ones with the most fire outbreaks.”
The federal government has committed to allocating resources to support firefighting efforts in the 21 most affected municipalities.
Officials also discussed the need for enhanced monitoring of fire-prone areas and the implementation of preventative measures to reduce the frequency and severity of future fires.
These actions are intended to protect both the environment and local communities that are affected by the fires.
Brazil is currently facing one of its worst years for forest fires, particularly in the Amazon and Pantanal biomes.
The federal government, working in coordination with state representatives, has concentrated firefighting efforts on 21 municipalities that have seen over half of the fires.
These areas are primarily located in northern states, many of them along the Trans-Amazonian Highway, which is associated with deforestation and environmental degradation.
Brazil’s National Space Research Institute has recorded nearly 45,000 fires in the Amazon this year.
While overall deforestation rates have not surged, forest degradation has caused significant loss of carbon storage, raising concerns for environmental agencies.
