Brazil’s Pantanal, the world’s largest tropical wetland, is on fire, with June seeing more fires than ever before.
Aerial photos reveal smoke billowing and bright orange flames engulfing the wetlands. Close-up images show burnt plants and the remains of animals like alligators, monkeys, and snakes, as seen in Reuters’ recent photos.
The National Institute of Space Research (INPE) of Brazil reported 733 fires in the Pantanal this month alone, breaking the previous June record of 435 fires set in 2005.
The state of Mato Grosso do Sul, covering 60% of Brazil’s Pantanal, faces a “danger” warning due to an upcoming heat wave. Brazil’s National Meteorological Institute (INMET) predicts temperatures 5ºC higher than usual for the next three to five days.
WWF Brazil has issued a warning that 2024 could be the worst year on record for the Pantanal. The dry season has just begun, and according to INPE’s data, the number of fires this year has surged by 898% compared to the same period in 2023.
Cynthia Santos, a conservation analyst for WWF Brazil, emphasized the urgent need to bolster firefighting teams and involve local communities to prevent a catastrophe.
Understanding Wetlands: Essential Information :
The Pantanal’s unique habitats rely on a natural cycle called the “flood pulse.” From November to March, about three-quarters of the area gets flooded. During the dry months from April to September, much of this water drains away, transforming the landscape from land to water and back again.
Wetlands like the Pantanal are crucial carbon sinks, absorbing and storing more carbon than they release, which helps regulate the Earth’s carbon cycle. Covering roughly 200,000 square kilometers, the Pantanal represents about 3% of the world’s wetlands and plays a vital role in maintaining global carbon balance.
When these carbon-rich ecosystems burn, they release large amounts of heat-trapping gases into the atmosphere, contributing to global warming.
According to the World Wildlife Fund, the Pantanal is home to more wildlife than any other place in South America, including iconic species like jaguars, capybaras, black caimans, giant otters, and hyacinth macaws. It’s also a critical stop for about 180 species of migratory birds.
“The Pantanal is crucial for our planet, with unique wild areas that are essential for life on Earth,” said Andre Luiz Siqueira, CEO of ECOA, an environmental organization in Mato Grosso do Sul, Brazil.
The region is currently facing a “hydrological crisis” due to severe drought exacerbated by the ongoing El Niño phenomenon since 2023, according to ECOA. While occasional wildfires are normal and some plants have adapted to them, the fires in 2020 devastated habitats and harmed the livelihoods of the Pantanal’s indigenous communities.