On October 12, 2024, a report revealed that 22.38 million hectares of land in Brazil have been devastated by wildfires during the first nine months of the year. This area represents approximately 2.6% of Brazil's total landmass, comparable to the size of Belarus.
The MapBiomas initiative, which includes contributions from universities, NGOs, and tech companies, highlighted that over 50% of the burned area is located in the Amazon rainforest. The dry season has been particularly harsh this year, exacerbating the fire crisis and reflecting the intensification of climate change.
In September alone, around 5.5 million hectares burned, marking a staggering 196% increase compared to the same month last year. The Cerrado region faced similar devastation with 4.3 million hectares affected, a rise of 158%. The Pantanal, the largest wetland globally, experienced an alarming 662% increase in fires.
Wildfires in Brazil are often linked to deforestation efforts, with a significant number occurring in primary forests. Experts warn that the combination of climate change and environmental degradation has created conditions conducive to the criminal use of fire for land conversion. This year has seen the worst fire activity in Brazil in 14 years, according to the National Institute for Space Research.