This week, the EU’s climate monitoring service Copernicus presented new figures for emissions following the forest fires in Brazil. So far this year, flames have consumed 113,960 square kilometers of the country, an area the size of Bulgaria. Many of the fires are arson, but they are getting stronger and getting out of control due to climate change, say researchers. Firefighters have been battling the flames for several weeks in Brazil. Photo: Eraldo Peres / AP More forest fires than normal The number of forest fires is out of the ordinary, despite the fact that the period from July to September is the one with the most forest fires. That’s what Copernicus wrote in a new report. – In 2024, forest fire activity in South America will have been noticeably above average, especially in the Amazon region and in the Pantanal area, says senior researcher Mark Parrington. There have been 346,112 fires in South America so far in 2024, satellite data from the space research institute Inpe in Brazil shows. That is more than in the record year 2007. On Nasa’s map of forest fires in South America, almost the entire area is colored red. Brazil and neighboring Bolivia are particularly hard hit. Graphics: Nasa Enormous emissions Emissions in Brazil so far in 2024 are around 183 million tonnes of carbon, according to Copernicus’ estimate. It is far above the average for what is normal, they write in the report. September alone – the month with the most forest fires – accounted for 65 million tonnes of emissions in the country. That is more than the greenhouse gas emissions in Norway in the whole of 2023. For several weeks, parts of the Amazon have been on fire. Photo: Eraldo Peres / AP Extreme temperatures and prolonged drought have led to the emissions being so high, according to Copernicus. Researchers in South America also highlight deforestation as a cause of the spill, reports AFP. Since the 1980s, the Amazon has lost an area the size of Germany and France combined due to deforestation. This has led to an increased risk of drought and fire, the researchers told AFP. The air also becomes bad and polluted after weeks of fire. – The smoke transport has had consequences far beyond the area where it has burned, even across the Atlantic Ocean, says Parrington in Copernicus. Large areas of the national park outside the capital, Brasília, have been turned into marshland. Photo: Adriano Machado / Reuters – Unknown terrain The forest fires affect the climate in the region, says climate researcher Rasmus E. Benestad at the Meteorological Institute. – The fires increase the CO2 level, in addition to polluting the air with soot particles and other gases, he says. The soot particles block sunlight, cause the air above the ground to become warmer and affect both temperature and precipitation. In addition, the ground holds little moisture when the forest has burned down, and fires can spread more quickly, he explains. Climate researcher Rasmus E. Benestad says the fires in the Amazon have major consequences for the ecosystem. Photo: Philippe Bédos Ulvin / news Compared to the global emissions of fossil fuels, the carbon emissions from the fires in Brazil are relatively small, according to climate researcher Glen Peters in Cicero. Nevertheless, climate change and poor management of the forest area means that the fires can become larger and more difficult to handle. Peters adds that we are on our way into unknown terrain, because the research does not yet show all the consequences of the fires. – We don’t have enough data to know how much these fires can damage the vegetation and limit regrowth, and we don’t know if the forests will recover from more intense and frequent fires, he says. The president promises measures The Supreme Court in Brazil has compared the forest fires to a pandemic and asked the country’s government to come up with immediate measures. In São Paulo, climate activists have taken to the streets to demonstrate for the climate. The city had the second worst air quality in the world for several days in September. Climate activists are protesting against climate change, which is leading to more forest fires in Brazil. Photo: Felipe Iruata / Reuters President Luiz Inácio Lula da Silva promised to take the situation seriously when he visited the Amazon earlier in September. – We take the need to fight against drought, deforestation and fires very seriously, he said. Published 24.09.2024, at 11.47 Updated 24.09.2024, at 15.09
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Forest fires in the Amazon lead to enormous emissions – news – Klima
