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Not only are fire alarms going off in California, but massive fires are breaking out again in Brazil. This time, the focus is on the Pantanal, the world’s largest wetland area.
There have been 14,489 outbreaks of fire since January, and in the same period last year there were 4,699 outbreaks. Many fires are caused by slash and burn, because burning is the easiest and cheapest way for small farmers to clear the fields and prepare them for new planting.
Due to its humidity, the Pantanal is one of the most biodiverse ecosystems and acts as a magnet for animals. Around 1,200 species of vertebrates live in its 188,000 square kilometers, including 36 that are in danger of extinction. Nowhere in the world is there such a dense population of jaguars.
The images show scorched jaguars fleeing hungry and thirsty from the flames, lifeless alligators lying on the ground like petrified, dead snakes, monkeys, tapirs, coatis and many other animals.
There were no floods
This year there is a huge drought in the marsh because the usual floods have not materialized. The Paraguay River has fallen to its lowest level since 1973.
So far, 23,490 square kilometers have been burned. That’s more than half the area of Switzerland.
NASA scientist Doug Morton sees the reason for the drought in changing sea temperatures. Morton also credits him with the massive fires in the Amazon and Argentine swamps. His biggest fear: that global warming could lead to a permanent warm phase that would lead to massive numbers of fires.
The Brazilian government has declared a state of emergency in the state of Mato Grosso do Sul.
Natural and tourist paradise
The Pantanal is a UNESCO World Heritage Site and stretches from the state of Mato Grosso do Sul to Mato Grosso and the neighboring countries of Bolivia and Paraguay. It consists of a branched system of rivers and lakes and is a unique natural and tourist paradise: in addition to jaguars, pumas and capybaras, the largest rodents in the world, live in it. Hundreds of bird species, including the endangered hyacinth macaw, and huge populations of fish are also found in the area. (gf)
